LITTLEHAM Primary School has won a national award recognising its achievements in inspiring its students to read.

LITTLEHAM Primary School has won a national award recognising its achievements in inspiring its students to read.

The school is one of only 16 in the whole country to win an Every Child a Reader School of the Year award for the way it teaches children to read.

The awards, of a school plaque and certificate, are the first to be made by the Every Child a Chance Trust charity in London which was set up in 2007 and is backed by the Government and leading businesses and charities.

The school, which has 111 pupils aged between three and 11 years old, was singled out for the way its Reading Recovery programme includes other schools in Exmouth in educating teaching assistants to be part of the programme.

The programme, led by Reading Recovery teacher Sara Thornhill, gives one to one tuition to children aged six with the greatest reading difficulties and lasts between 12 and 20 weeks.

Reading Recovery has led to a massive increase in children at the school achieving the expected levels of reading for their age at Level two.

The proportion achieving Level two and above has increased by 20 per cent, with 30 per cent achieving Level three in 2008 and exceeding national expectations.

Head teacher Penny Hickman said: "I am thrilled that we have won this award - children who have completed the Reading Recovery programme are able to access all areas of the curriculum which was not the case beforehand."

For more information on the programme visit www.everychildareader.org.