Transforming Literacy and Confidence at Point Fortin Anglican Primary: A Year with the ARROW Programme

A Journey of Transforming Literacy and Confidence with A.R.R.O.W.

In October 2024, Point Fortin Anglican Primary School embarked on a transformative journey in literacy, communication, and student well-being through a new partnership with the ARROW Foundation, generously supported by Atlantic LNG. One year later, the school is already seeing measurable progress—not only in reading and spelling development, but also in student behaviour, confidence, and classroom engagement.

This initiative, supported through ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the dedicated team at ARROW, reflects the school’s commitment to raising literacy standards and nurturing the whole child.

Laying the Foundation: Training the Educators

The project began with preliminary meetings between the Foundation and the school principal in October 2024. Five teachers were selected to undergo specialised ARROW Training.

The two-day workshop, facilitated by ARROW Director and trainer Christopher Bonterre, immersed teachers in the ARROW approach: a multisensory, self-voice-based programme designed to rapidly improve speaking, listening, reading, writing, and comprehension.

Unlike traditional classroom models, the ARROW methodology places strong emphasis on the student’s own voice. Through guided listening and vocalisation, students develop clearer sound differentiation, improved environmental sound awareness, stronger sentence understanding, and increased confidence in self-expression. This, in turn, strengthens internal thinking processes and enhances academic performance.

Teachers from Point Fortin Anglican Primary participate in a workshop to become ARROW tutors

Point Fortin Anglican Primary School shares the ARROW Foundation’s belief that literacy is closely tied to student motivation, confidence, and overall school climate.

Together, both institutions set out to achieve three core objectives:

• Raise reading, spelling, and numeracy standards

• Improve communication and interpersonal skills

• Reduce incidents of school violence by strengthening self-esteem, concentration, and emotional confidence

Inside the ARROW Intervention

For training and certification, each teacher worked closely with five students, each completing eight (8) hours of concentrated one-on-one interventions guided by the Schonell reading and spelling assessments.

Students were placed on personalised learning programmes tailored to their literacy levels. During this process, teachers received continuous support and supervision from ARROW tutors, ensuring fidelity to the programme’s methods and maintaining high intervention quality.

Today, all teachers have completed their training requirements and are finalising their reports for official UK certification.

Measurable Impact: Literacy Gains

Reading and Spelling Gains

• 100% of students improved their reading age by at least six months after only eight hours of intervention.

• 96% of students improved their spelling age by seven months or more.

Strengthening Behaviour, Motivation, and Self-Esteem

Beyond the academic data, teachers observed meaningful shifts in student behaviour and confidence. Research consistently shows a link between reading challenges and aggression or antisocial behaviour. By addressing literacy barriers, the ARROW Programme helps create safer, calmer, more motivated learning environments.

From teacher evaluations:

• 80% of students demonstrated higher self-esteem

• 44% showed notable improvements in behaviour and classroom performance

  
  

These qualitative shifts often go unnoticed in standard assessments but are essential for long-term student success.

Equipping the School for the Future

In October 2025, after teachers completed their training requirements, the ARROW Foundation presented five laptops preloaded with the ARROW software, complete with five-year licenses and peripherals. These devices now form the core of the school’s new Literacy Corner—allowing teachers to place more students on the intervention programme and expanding the long-term impact of the initiative.

Ongoing monitoring, tutor visits, and further teacher awareness workshops) ensure that the programme continues to grow sustainably. Upcoming sessions will also explore key topics such as trauma, differentiation, and inclusive literacy practices.

A.R.R.O.W. director, manager and Point Fortin Anglican Primary pose for Laptop Handover Ceremony

Voices from the School

Teacher and principal testimonials form one of the programme’s most valuable insights—capturing the daily social, emotional, and behavioural shifts occurring among students. These qualitative reflections help illuminate changes not always reflected in testing data, highlighting areas such as:

• increased willingness to participate in class

• improved peer interactions

• stronger emotional regulation

• renewed excitement about reading

  
  

A Year of Progress and the Beginning of More

The partnership between Point Fortin Anglican Primary School and the ARROW Foundation demonstrates what is possible when educators are equipped with targeted tools, sustained support, and innovative approaches to learning.

From measurable literacy gains to improved confidence and behaviour, this first year marks only the beginning of a long-term transformation. With trained teachers, dedicated students, and continued collaboration, the school is positioned to deliver lasting impact.