Bottisham schoolchildren get reading boost thanks to Bellway Latimer donation

Bottisham Village College has invested in four new reading pens to help more students overcome potential obstacles to learning after receiving a £1,000 donation from Bellway.

Bellway Latimer, which is building at the nearby Springstead Village development in Cherry Hinton, gifted the money to the secondary school’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) department as part of its commitment to supporting the local community.

The money was used to buy four new reading pens, priced at £250 each, which students with dyslexia and other additional needs can use in lessons to assist with their reading. The purchase has boosted the school’s supply of reading pens to 20, giving more children an opportunity to benefit from them.

The handheld devices are used to scan printed text and convert it to speech, reading it aloud so that users can keep up with the material instead of getting stuck on a word or sentence they cannot comprehend.

Esther Street, Assistant Principal and SEND Strategy Lead at Bottisham Village College, said using the reading pens had helped students to overcome barriers to reading which could otherwise damage their confidence and affect their engagement in the classroom.

She said: “When students have dyslexia it only takes the slightest setback for their self-esteem to really take a knock. They can get stuck on a single word which is an easy word for others but is really difficult for them and that can be extremely embarrassing. Having the reading pens allows them to move past that and continue reading rather than having to stop, put their hand up and wait for the teacher to come and explain that one word to them.”

Esther said there had been a strong focus within the school over the past year on increasing the use of reading pens among students, led by specialist teacher Karen Fullbrook.

“Having seen how helpful the reading pens can be we wanted to extend our offer and Bellway Latimer’s donation has enabled us to do so. One reading pen can be used by up to five children every day so this will make a massive difference.

“We have already seen some very impressive results. Some students who were previously struggling and disengaging from learning are now attending lessons and being really pro-active in using the reading pens. Their confidence has grown and they are now learning better and more confidently and consistently.

“It’s amazing to receive this support from Bellway Latimer and we are so grateful for their donation. It was a real boost which enabled us to make a more meaningful purchase.”

Georgia Smith, Sales Manager for Bellway Latimer, said: “Engaging with local communities is absolutely integral to our work at Springstead Village and forming relationships with schools and colleges is an important aspect of this work. We are a company which prides itself on our inclusive values, so Bottisham Village College’s strong commitment to improving educational opportunities for students with additional needs really struck a chord with us.

“We are so pleased to know that our donation has helped to make such a difference to the learning, engagement and self-esteem of the children who are benefiting from using the newly purchased reading pens.”

Springstead Village is a 1,200-home neighbourhood being built off Cherry Hinton Road. The project is being delivered by Bellway Latimer, a joint venture between national housebuilder Bellway and Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Group.

For more information about the homes at Springstead Village, call the sales team on 01223 081346 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/springstead-village.

For details of shared ownership homes, visit https://www.latimerhomes.com/new-build-homes/cambridgeshire/cambridge/springstead-village.

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