Toe by Toe buddy reading scheme - Ynysawdre Comprehensive School, Bridgend, South Wales

Toe by Toe is a “buddy” reading scheme where older pupils help teach literacy skills to younger pupils using a phonics-based method.

The school, which has a high percentage of pupils with a reading age more than two years behind their chronological age on entry to Year 7, has been awarded the Quality Mark on two occasions  by the the Basic Skills Agency at NIACE, in recognition of its good practice in literacy and numeracy.

Reading ages are tested on entry to the school in Year 7 and at other specific stages throughout the running of the scheme.

Michelle Hatcher, the school’s Deputy Head, said: “There is evidence that, having followed this scheme, considerable value is added to the reading ages of pupils in Year 7.”

Pupils in Year 12 are trained as Toe by Toe coaches then paired with Year 7s who have been identified with a reading age below that of a nine-year-old. The buddy time is scheduled for 20 minutes, four times a week, during the school’s registration period. 

Michelle says that the scheme, which is carefully structured to encourage personal development, has a twofold benefit. Firstly, it increases the reading levels and self-esteem of the younger pupils. Secondly, the Year 12s are promoted to learning coaches and mentors through the scheme and, for those aiming to achieve an ASDAN Award (for personal and social development), part of their work in these roles counts towards that.

The teacher in charge monitors the mentoring system before the pupils are paired and then checks that each pupil’s progress is constantly reviewed.

The Toe by Toe scheme teaches sounds of phonemes (the smallest sound in a language) through the use of made-up words with no actual meaning. These rules can be applied to any mono-syllabic word.

Every time a word is read correctly it is ticked.  The same words are re-visited and need to be ticked on three separate occasions to confirm they have been learnt and to ensure the phonemic combinations are stored in the pupil’s long-term memory.

Michelle notes that the mentoring scheme has had other positive effects throughout the school and that there’s evidence of a more responsible attitude among older pupils, better social bonds across the year groups, reduced bullying and truancy, and a better transition into the secondary school for Year 7 pupils. 

At the end of the course Year 12 pupils are awarded a Toe by Toe Mentor Award while Year 7 pupils get a Toe by Toe Award in the school’s annual award ceremony.

Child protection training is provided to the older pupils which Michelle considers is a further useful skill for them while being of benefit to the younger ones as well.  

She also suggests: “There needs to be clear criteria regarding which pupils you choose from Year 7 to catch up on their reading.   At any point be willing to take someone off the scheme if they no longer need to be on it – but also be willing to put someone back on if they need it again.

“With regard to the Year 12 buddies, ensure that they are the right type of person to be a mentor, especially as mentors can form good relationships with pupils.  Also, monitor the relationship pairs to ensure that both pupils are comfortable - if not, swap mentors around.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that some Year 7 girls may be uncomfortable, or perhaps even intimidated, if matched with an older boy but, in my experience, it doesn’t seem to bother younger boys being paired with older girls.  Also, of course, be aware and make sure that the relationship is appropriate.”

Younger children respond well to being helped by other pupils and, Michelle says, they form friendships and have someone they can confide in.

“The scheme has been hugely successful and the pupils love it.  What’s more, year on year, we never have a problem with Year 12s volunteering to do the mentoring, they’re always very keen” she adds.

Facts and figures

• Many pupils enter the school in Year 7 with a reading age of below nine
• The scheme adds value of around a two year increase with a high percentage of pupils gaining a reading age of 11 plus.
• The scheme is run only for Year 7 pupils and mentors are only chosen from those in Year 12
• The scheme has been running at the school since 1996
• Approximately 20 pupils per year are involved

For further information contact  Michelle Hatcher:  01656 720643