Following Professor Dame Marie Clay’s death in April 2007, the Reading Recovery National Network determined to find an appropriate way to honour her life affirming work to eliminate underachievement in literacy.
In 1992 she directed the first large scale Reading Recovery initiative in the UK, based at the Institute of Education in London. It led rapidly to Reading Recovery interventions in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Time and again, in each of these settings, the success of this early literacy intervention was repeated, with around eight out of ten of the lowest attaining six year olds lifted to age appropriate levels of literacy within a matter of months.
Marie had an abiding passion for teachers’ continuous professional learning, believing that there was always something more to learn even from the most inexperienced teacher and from the most perplexed of children. Her exceptional belief in teachers influenced our decision to establish this fund, which will expand the opportunities for Reading Recovery teachers and teacher leaders to continue their professional growth and development.
The Marie Clay Professional Learning Fund (Europe) was launched at the RR Conference on 26th April 2008 at the Institute of Education, London. The fund will provide annual, individual bursaries for RR professionals to attend national and international professional development conferences, to share and learn with like-minded colleagues.
To do this, we need to raise a capital sum of £40,000. We do not have super-rich donors in mind, and every donation will make a difference!
To download the donation form click here.
To download the bursary application form click here.
To download the information for referees click here.
Commemorating the life and work of Marie Clay
(PDF flyer)
