Malou Bengtsson-Wheeler Area Manager – Kent and Inner London

Anne LoftusRTE and ARE – Kent and Inner London

Maidstone and Ashford

Beanstalk has been working with our Children in Care for some years with considerable success. The volunteers are able to find the right material to suit children’s particular interests and to tailor the sessions to their ability. Some of the children they work with have difficulty concentrating for long periods of time and so it takes some skill to hold their interest.

We find that either with one to one attention or in small groups, children value time set aside especially for them. Apart from increasing their reading and general concentration skills, they can learn turn taking, sharing, social and communication skills. We appreciate Beanstalk taking our enquiries, approaching the schools in our area and matching volunteers to the school and children. I think we would all agree that time spent with the volunteers not only increases the children’s ability to read, but this leads to their further engagement in all areas of the curriculum.

Jenny FinchFostering Education Liaison Officer, VSK

Had been excluded from school due to agression

History of violence in parents relationship

Mother suffering from depression and in counselling

Reading level below expected age

Older brother, unemployed = role model

Boy, aged 8

No interest in books or reading

All attainment gaps at any age are of great significance to the life chances of children as they move through their schooling… The attainment gaps in Kent are significant and we are determined to narrow these gaps in the next three years… in spite of small improvements in the outcomes for Children in Care, their achievement gaps continue to be the widest of any pupil group and are a key priority for improvement in 2014.

Patrick LeesonCorporate Director, Education Learning and Skills

Thank you