WHEN you walk into Greatwood Community Primary School, Skipton, the last person you expect to see is a retired merchant banker crouched on a child's chair listening to a seven-year-old read.

But Richard Jennings does just that thanks to the Right To Read Scheme which is encouraging volunteers to help improve reading skills in local primary schools.

Mr Jennings is the scheme's new area co-ordinator and is looking for more volunteers to place in schools.

He said often children with busy, single or working parents were not getting enough help with their reading at home and this could be supplemented by people with time on their hands giving the children some extra support in school.

The Right To Read programme is a charitable organisation which takes on volunteers, offers them some training and places them in local schools to help in the classroom.

"We are not assistant teachers we are just assistants to the teachers," said Mr Jennings.

He added that volunteers had already been placed in several local schools but many more were needed. "Everybody wants help," said Mr Jennings.

Volunteers would be asked to do tasks like listening to a child read or helping them complete worksheets.

As little as one hour a week could make a huge difference to a child's reading ability, Mr Jennings told The Herald.

Annette Metcalf, one of Greatwood's class teachers, said volunteers like Mr Jennings were invaluable.

"It is extremely helpful we could not perform without any of these helpers. We are keen to encourage reading and we get a lot of support from parent helpers," she said.

Mrs Metcalf said the children loved the idea that Mr Jennings was coming into school just for them, and they had been impressed by the fact that men did read regularly.

Volunteer Wendy Harrison is almost a permanent fixture in the school.

The Skipton grandma helps in the school every day. "It is enjoyable. It just takes the pressure off the teachers a bit," she said. "I would be just sitting at home doing nothing if I was not here."

The push to help Craven schools has come in the same week as the Government launched its initiative to improve education standards.

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Secretary of State for Education and Employment David Blunkett also suggested that often children were not getting the educational support they needed at home.

They have joined forces to publish a parent guide containing information on the national curriculum, books, practical advice, and finding education material.

Mr Blair said: "Children spend only a fifth of their time at school - but they spend three quarters of their time learning.

"Parents are a child's first educator and it is they who shape children's lives more than any other influence.

"So it is essential that parents make the most of their power to give children the best possible start."

Anyone who wants to help with the local Right to Read scheme can contact Mr Jennings on 01756 720628.