Stellantis UK is partnering with The Children’s Literacy Charity which works to close the literacy gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.
Recent research shows that the majority (57 per cent) of children from disadvantaged backgrounds are leaving primary school without reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths*. Through its specialist intervention programmes, The Children’s Literacy Charity enables these children to make significant progress, helping them to catch up with their peers.
The support from Stellantis has made it possible for the charity to introduce its Reading Lab programme across six schools in important locations for Stellantis in the UK: Parklands Primary and The Oaks Community Primary in Ellesmere Port; Riverbank Primary and The Linden Academy in Luton and Aldermoor Farm Primary and Willenhall Primary in Coventry. The charity is currently identifying a further school in each location to benefit from one of its specialist intervention programmes.
Designed for older primary school children, Reading Lab is delivered in school by the charity’s expert tutors to groups of three pupils at a time, twice a week for ten weeks. This intensive, catch-up intervention is focused on reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary and after the 10-week programme, children on average make seven months’ progress, with schools reporting significant improvements in confidence, behaviour and engagement in the classroom.
Alongside this local support, the partnership will facilitate the charity’s Reading and Literacy Labs in other regions. Stellantis is also helping to build the charity’s parental engagement programme and develop literacy resources for families, as well as supporting the expansion of Reader Leader which trains older students to become reading mentors for younger pupils.
Louise Gardner, Head of Inclusion, Belonging, Talent & Wellbeing, Stellantis UK, said: “We were struck by the incredible impact The Children’s Literacy Charity tutors can have in supporting those children who are the furthest behind and we know from the feedback we receive from right across our business that, post Covid, the catch-up needs of many children are still great. At Stellantis we have a long history of philanthropic support and felt that by partnering with this high impact charity, we could make an important contribution to helping close the attainment gap.”
Isabel Greenwood, CEO, The Children’s Literacy Charity, added: “This new partnership with Stellantis represents an important milestone for the charity, not only enabling us to expand our delivery into new regions but also allowing us to work hand in hand with a corporate supporter at a grassroots level. We have long believed that working closely with supporters to build longer term involvement with local schools and communities is a powerful model. With the attainment gap the widest it has been for a decade, this approach will make a significant difference to the lives of children who have the most catching up to do”.
The partnership with The Children’s Literacy Charity is part of a global initiative by Stellantis Philanthropy supporting grassroots educational projects in countries where the company operates, including the UK.
Stellantis Philanthropy is distinct from the company’s business operations in that it is purely philanthropic, focusing on creating opportunities and fostering hope. Its mission is to champion quality education for younger generations facing economic and social challenges. To achieve this, it establishes lasting partnerships with NGO experts to identify community needs and co-build educational projects, with the aim of making a difference in the lives of youth and communities, today and for generations to come.
