A ROSSENDALE teacher has been praised by Prince Charles for her ability to inspire her pupils.

Rebecca Roach, literacy co-ordinator at Fearns Community Sport College, was given the honour of meeting the Prince of Wales thanks to her record at the school.

The English teacher has been the mastermind behind he Stacksteads-based high school receiving a kitemark for improving students’ English skills, from the Prince Charles’s teaching Institute.

She said: “He had read our application to be part of the institute, knew about our school and knew the work that we had been doing.

"We spent about 20 minutes with Prince Charles and he was very enthusiastic about the difference his institute can make to teaching.

“I told him about taking the students to see Blood Brothers and about our literacy passport for Year 7s to keep them on track with reading during the summer months.

“He was incredibly interested and inquisitive and really keen to know how we can enthuse and inspire pupils.”

The school has introduced a number of schemes to raise literacy attainment including a Literacy Leaders scheme where gifted older pupils aid younger ones and literacy passports given to new starters to complete over the summer.