Boost pupils' reading by signing up to The News' Reading Passport scheme

We are calling on teachers and schools to sing up for the Let’s Read project, which will run next term across primary schools in the Portsmouth area.

The News has teamed up with The News Foundation to run the project aimed at primary schools, particularly pupils in Key Stage 2.

It is a scheme that is proved a huge success in the past as we aim to boost literacy across the area.

Participating pupils will receive their own Let’s Read activity book and a copy of The News delivered to the school once a week for six weeks.

The children will carry out a series of educational activities inside the booklet and develop their skills and knowledge of local people and the events that shape our world.

Using copies of The News, pupils can explore an alternative text rather than books and discover real-life stories from the patch.

Suella Fernandes, Fareham MP, praised the project and urged schools to get involved in the scheme.

She said: ‘Having strong literacy skills is vital at every stage of life, so it’s important to support children to develop these skills early on.

‘It’s also important that they engage with the world around them, which includes learning about local news and current affairs in an age appropriate way.

‘The Let’s Reach challenge strikes the right balance between learning and fun, making the process more interactive hopefully enabling children to develop their literacy skills and foster an interest in the world around them.

‘I look forward to hearing about how Fareham pupils will get on in the project!’

The project costs just £2.25 for each participating student, and for this, they receive:

n Their very own Reading Activity Book.

n A copy of The News delivered to the school once a week for six weeks.

n A personalised Certificate of Achievement.

Class teachers also receive a comprehensive Let’s Read support pack to help make the project a success in the classroom.