A targeted summer literacy programme is delivering early gains for primary school leavers flagged in this year’s Common Entrance results, as education officials respond to a sharp fall in English scores and concerns about readiness for secondary school.

Reading proficiency was brought into focus at the Ministry of Education Transformation’s Summer Learning Pod, where educators are working to strengthen the literacy skills of students preparing to enter secondary school following concerns over declining English performance.

The Summer Learning Pod at Westbury Primary School under the National Literacy Programme is providing intensive literacy intervention to 70 students aged 11 to 13 who demonstrated critical literacy needs in the recent examination. The programme, which ends on Friday, uses the evidence-based Lindamood-Bell Seeing Stars and visualising and verbalising programmes to improve reading, spelling and comprehension through small-group instruction.