Oldham schools host Christmas literacy event in Royton

Forty Royton families spent a December afternoon reading Christmas stories, cutting cards, and drawing snowmen as part of Oldham Council's Making It REAL literacy drive. The event, held at Heyside Pre-School and Blackshaw Lane Primary, showed parents how everyday festive tasks can double as reading and writing practice.

The council now works with 17 schools and pre-schools, reaching more than 130 children through home visits and themed sessions. Parents like Peter say the knock-on effect is immediate: after staff read We're Going on a Bear Hunt at his house, his son Henry acted out the story wearing a homemade mask and tackled a new jigsaw without prompting.

Lauren, whose daughter Nova finished the programme last year, still uses the walk-to-the-shops game they were taught. Nova now calls out every street sign and number they pass, turning Saturday errands into an impromptu spelling lesson. Staff report similar habits forming across Royton, with children pointing out print on bus stops and shop fronts.

Teachers say the biggest change is the new line of communication between pre-school and primary school. Heyside Pre-School manager Sam Clarke hopes the link will ease first-day nerves, while Blackshaw Lane's Katy Claber says joint events mean she already knows the next intake by name. The council plans to invite more settings in January, aiming to stretch the scheme beyond the current 130 places.

Funding comes via Oldham's Best Start Family Hubs, and places are offered free. Laura Williams, the council officer running the roll-out, says the only barrier now is recruiting enough staff to visit every interested home. Parents who have taken part are doing some of the recruiting themselves, recommending the sessions in playground conversations and WhatsApp groups.