How this literacy project with families is helping to give Oldham's young children the best start
The Making it REAL (Raising, Early, Achievement in Literacy) programme in Oldham is helping young children improve their literacy skills through home visits and literacy events, with positive feedback from parents and educators.
Ugly Bug Ball Celebrates Literacy Success as Oldham Programme Transforms Young Lives
More than 170 children across 22 Oldham schools are celebrating remarkable progress in their literacy journey through the Making it REAL programme, with families witnessing dramatic improvements in their children’s confidence and communication skills.
At Beever Primary School in St Mary’s, the transformation was on full display during the school’s recent Ugly Bug Ball, where nursery and reception pupils dressed as insects while participating in literacy-focused activities with their families. The event marked another milestone for the award-winning programme, which delivers home visits and literacy events throughout the year to create positive home learning environments.
The impact on individual children has been profound. Four-year-old Evie Aylward, who previously struggled with conversations, has seen her speech improve dramatically through the programme. “This has improved her literacy massively and she loves it,” said her father Adam. “Her speech has improved. She was struggling with conversations but this is bringing it on and is massively boosting her confidence.”
Jasmina Gawkowska has witnessed similar progress in her daughter Eliana Coffey. “It’s brilliant, It’s really nice to see that she has got such a good rapport with her teachers,” she said. “She’s better behaved and she’s making progress with her writing and reading. I would definitely recommend it.”
The programme, developed in the 1990s by the National Children’s Bureau and the University of Sheffield based on research by Professor Cathy Nutbrown, has been delivered in partnership with Oldham Council Family Hubs since 2019. At Beever Primary alone, eight families identified by the school currently receive home visits from teachers who have become familiar faces in the children’s lives.
Headteacher Nicola Edwards recalled one pupil who rarely spoke before joining the programme. “The greatest thing about this project is that it’s building confidence and communication skills in children,” she said. “And it’s building confidence in parents. Children get so excited when they know the teachers are coming to their homes they wait at the windows, and Miss Maxwell and Miss McEvoy are fantastic.”
The programme extends beyond the classroom, with children visiting local libraries and bookshops to choose their own books, fostering a genuine love for reading and writing that parents say is transforming their home learning environment.
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