A FILM literacy project run by Bradford UNESCO City of Film has produced its best levels of achievement to date.

Young people involved in the scheme over the past year have achieved 4.7 APS (average points score) writing and 4.28 reading, the best levels to date.

"This gives us an average over three years of 4.28 writing over three years and 4.15 reading over two years (reading wasn’t tracked in year one). The expected progress over a school year is three points," says City of Film director David Wilson. "We now have a very powerful case proving the impact of the use of film upon reading and writing levels in primary schools."

The programme, running in primary schools, is delivered by the Curriculum Innovation Centre, part of Bradford Council, in partnership with Bradford City of Film.

Mr Wilson is exploring ways of moving the scheme into secondary schools in the district, with assistance from Mark Reid, Head of Education at the British Film Institute.

"The biggest challenge is getting the schools to see this as a core activity," says Mr Wilson. "We have proved with our approach in a primary setting that we can engage with young people who might otherwise struggle with traditional methods used to teach reading and writing. There’s no reason why this approach cannot be applied in secondary schools with a little adaptation.

"If anything, I think we can have a wider impact in secondary schools and with the use of documentary films in general in getting young people to look beyond what they see in mainstream media and articulate their view of the world. This is needed now, more than ever.

"Then there’s the point where they are asked to make a film themselves - the discipline involved in getting it right, working as a team. It's not an easy thing to do well but the rewards can be huge and a real confidence boost for young people."

In an age when children and young people receive much of their information and entertainment from moving images, film literacy helps to create, develop and enthuse pupils' interest in reading and writing through film. The programme is also aimed at developing film audiences of the future, and inspiring young people to make their own films too.

The literacy programme includes a strand called Film-makers In The Classroom, bringing professional film-makers to work alongside pupils and teachers. Going out to 900 pupils across the district, it is funded by Cape UK, the Arts Council's 'bridge organisation' for Yorkshire working with arts and cultural sectors to boost children's creativity, self-belief and access to arts experiences.

Mr Wilson says film literacy helps children to 'read' the films and moving image texts they consume daily.

"For most young people, if they experience film education at all it is as isolated episodes that lack consistency and progression. Bradford is moving film education on from being a series of disconnected experiences to an integral part of every young person's life - a systematic process in which confidence and articulacy grow by having the opportunity to see a wide range of films, gain a critical understanding of film and enjoy the creative activity of film-making."

Film education in Bradford is providing children and young people with opportunities to watch a range of film using new technologies and platforms; encouraging learning, critical understanding, writing and debate about films and issues they raise.

The City of Film team has worked with Bradford Children's Services and BFI and primary schools on embedding film literacy into the curriculum. It was launched in 2010 and teacher feedback was positive, leading to a change in literacy programming, with film playing a greater role in the class-room.

It was followed up by a three-year literacy project, monitored by a PhD student placement co-funded by the University of Bradford and Bradford City of Film.

* Schools can now sign up for the fourth year of the Bradford Film Literacy project. For more information call (01274) 434818.