Our Silver Stories programme, which began last year, has enabled the children who have been part of it to flourish and it has also provided support and care for members of our wider Christian community. The 3 children who are Silver Readers rang their Silver Listener weekly during their own lunchtime to speak with them and read to them.
Our vision along with our school values of love and friendship and respect have driven this programme and what we have hoped to achieve as a school. We provided hope and joy to elderly members of our local community, treating them with dignity and respect whilst improving the wisdom and learning of some of the children in our school. Our listeners were always keen to share the meaning of some of the tricky vocabulary to our children! This links to the Church of England’s vision for education of hope, community, dignity and wisdom.
In our vision it states ‘As an inclusive Christian community we value each person’. Our school community is not just limited to our pupils, staff and parents. The Silver Stories programme is an example of how we have engaged with our wider Christian community, with the support of the church, to truly value each person. The children willingly gave up their own lunchtime to speak with their readers every week.
What difference has the programme made to them as a person and what positive impact has this had on our 3 Silver Listeners?
Feedback from Silver Readers
It improved our reading, particularly our fluency, but also our ability to talk to adults which is a useful skill for the future. We felt like agents of positive change because I was making a difference and making someone feel happy and less lonely. I actually met my listener and I was so excited to meet [My Silver Listener] in person when she came to watch our Year 5 and 6 production. We had a great chat!
– Child A –
My listener asked me what I was doing each week before I read and I enjoyed chatting to her each week. We looked forward to it, but also Irene seemed to look forward to it every week. I got more confident throughout the year speaking to [My Silver Listener].
– Child B –
Feedback from Silver Listeners
I really enjoyed listening to [My Silver Reader] and meeting him.
– Silver Listener A –
I used to look forward to speaking to [My Silver Reader]. I am hoping to come in and meet [My Silver Reader] in school over the next few weeks as I really feel like I know her from our weekly conversations. .
– Silver Listener b –
The Future
One of our Silver Listeners is continuing on the programme this academic year and we now plan on opening this up to 2 or 3 members of the Methodist church who would benefit. We are also going to open this opportunity up to new children in year 5 to allow more children to flourish and be agents of positive change in our wider Christian community.
