PARENTS, staff and governors at a Darlington school are working together to help pupils with their reading.

Reid Street Primary School has joined the national Better Reading Partnership, which involves volunteers working with children to help them improve their reading skills.

Under the programme, a teacher at the school has trained more than ten volunteers, including parents and governors, in techniques to encourage children to improve their reading.

Following the two-day training session, the volunteers are preparing to meet a group of three pupils up to three times a week for ten weeks.

These sessions will involve the children reading aloud and receiving guidance and encouragement from the volunteers.

The children will be assessed before the programme and, after the ten weeks, it is hoped their reading ability will reach or surpass the class average.

To support the programme, the school has bought a range of new books and created special carpeted "reading bays" where pupils can meet the volunteers.

Headteacher Paul Rhatigan said: "Reading is the most important skill children can learn because it impacts on every part of their life.

"We recognise how important it is to invest in reading and are delighted so many volunteers have come forward to help us."