Education secretary launches reading initiative in north London

Arsenal in the Community is partnering up with the University College London’s Institute of Education (IOE) to provide more reading opportunities for young people in north London to help them become “great readers”.

Education secretary Justine Greening paid a visit to Arsenal football club to mark the start of the initiative.

Arsenal’s Double Club initiative and the IOE’s Reading Recovery literacy intervention will give support to pupils who are currently below the national average in reading and writing by using sport to make reading fun and engaging.

Ms Greening, was shown around the Emirates Stadium yesterday, 30 January, and later listened to a group of five to seven-year-old children read.

She commented: “Arsenal’s Double Club is an award winning education programme for children in the local community.

“It uses football as the hook to make learning fun and engaging. Playing sport is about more than just ensuring young people are healthy and happy.”

Ms Greening continued: “Sport is also great for helping children develop team-working skills, communication skills and the ability to problem-solve, which in turn make a big difference to young people being able to reach their goals.”

Arsenals’s Double Club manager, Jack McNicholl, added: “This partnership will help us reach more children in the area, and to continue to support them with their literacy development in an engaging way.

“We work with over 30 local schools on a weekly basis and this is fantastic opportunity to team up with UCL and the IOE to help even more children.”