Reading Intervention Programme for New Students at Godfrey Stewart High

Godfrey Stewart High School, in Westmoreland, will be placing increased emphasis on literacy, particularly for new students, to begin the 2025-26 academic year.

Principal Emily Lawrence-Ricketts told JIS News, in an interview, that the school is rolling out a reading intervention programme, aimed primarily at incoming first form students.

“Right now, we are putting together a reading intervention programme for them, because although they came with some good scores, when we tested them… we realised that some of them had some reading deficiencies,” she outlined.

Mrs. Lawrence-Ricketts said that despite encouraging results in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exam, the assessments conducted by the school revealed gaps.

“When we looked on their PEP scores, they were good. But when we tested them, we realised that a number of them were not reading at grade level. So, we’re working on a reading programme, especially for our first-formers that are coming in,” she said.

Meanwhile, she reported that the school is steadily advancing other aspects of its back-to-school readiness.

“In terms of the infrastructure, we are 80 per cent ready,” the Principal indicated, adding that work is ongoing to repair sections of the roof that are leaking.

She informed that workshops are being held with support staff this week, in preparation for the reopening of school on September 1.

Mrs. Lawrence-Ricketts further added that the institution is also in the process of filling vacancies.

“We still are short two language teachers, but we are hoping that by the time we are ready for September 1, we’ll get some persons in. Interviews are coming up,” she said.

The Principal also informed that in keeping with its annual tradition, the school will host its commencement service on September 5.

“Every year, at the beginning of school, we have a service. It’s going to be hybrid. Some students are going to be at school, some are going to be online. We normally record it and put it on our school’s YouTube channel, so we are going to be doing that again this year,” Mrs. Lawrence-Ricketts said.