For many years, working as a primary school teacher in Cardiff, I spent countless hours planning lessons, adapting resources and trying to create opportunities for every child sitting in front of me. But one thing was clear: if a child struggled to read, they struggled to access almost everything else too.
I was passionate about the importance of giving children strong literacy foundations as early as possible. Not only for academic success, but because reading changes how children experience school altogether. When children can read confidently, they can fully engage with learning, develop independence and feel that the classroom belongs to them too.
Stepping into a new chapter as Schools Success Manager for Monster Phonics, I still carry those experiences with me every day.
Although I am no longer based in one classroom, my motivation remains exactly the same – helping children gain the reading skills they need to thrive.
The recent partnership between Cardiff Council and Monster Phonics has filled me with an enormous sense of pride. The city-wide commitment to strengthening early reading and closing the literacy gap feels incredibly significant — not just professionally, but personally too.
To think that the city where I once taught children to blend sounds, decode words and build confidence is now investing in a shared, ambitious approach to early reading is genuinely moving. The scale of the initiative – supporting schools across the city through training, resources and long-term collaboration – has the potential to make a lasting difference for thousands of children.
As teachers, we often focus on the impact we can make within our own classrooms or schools. I am beginning to realise, in this role, there is also something incredibly powerful about supporting schools at a wider level — helping to equip teachers, strengthen practice and contribute to a shared vision for literacy across an entire city. It is a privilege to still be part of that journey
There is something very special about knowing that the work happening now could help children across Cardiff access the curriculum more confidently, develop a love of reading and experience school differently because the foundations were put in place early enough.
And for me, that will always be what education is really about – giving every child an equal chance to succeed.
Find out more about Cardiff’s ambitious project with Monster Phonics as part of the Cardiff Inclusion Strategy.