The programme was very kindly sponsored and run by The National Literacy Trust and a team of 22 awesome volunteers from a number of different companies around the district including West Yorkshire Police, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Leeds Arts Centre, Provident Financial (OIAM Community Partner) and Emerald Publishing Group (OIAM Corporate Partner). We also had the pleasure of welcoming some retired business people who wanted to share their expertise. One volunteer commented, “The students worked really hard in a short space of time”, with another saying that our Year 9s were, “lovely, polite and hard working students”. A response from a Year 9 was, “Please keep helping and inspiring others”.

In anonymous feedback our Year 9 students expressed their enjoyment and thanks for being part of the programme with one writing, ‘This helped me become conscious of the importance of my body language at all times as I now know it makes up 58% of the way people will judge me in the world of work!’.

Mr Rees, Principal, said, “Thank you to all the professionals who volunteered. Your contribution to the development of literacy within our school is much appreciated by students and staff alike. Please be assured that your efforts have and will continue to make a difference to those students you have worked with, during their time in school and beyond. Good literacy skills are an essential attribute and encouraging students to enhance and develop their understanding is vital. As a school we immensely value the supportive relationships we have with a large number of local organisations and I look forward to continuing and developing these partnerships in the future”.

A final word from a student to The National Literacy Trust and all the volunteers: “I am really happy we did this! Please consider us for more opportunities”.