Building Reading Confidence at Conway
At Conway Education Centre, we are always looking for new ways to support the young people in our community. The Bright Sparks Phonics Project is one of the programmes we are most proud of, and the results speak for themselves.
What is the Bright Sparks Phonics Project?
Conway’s Homework Club provides homework support for primary and secondary school students from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds here in Belfast. The Bright Sparks Phonics Project runs as part of the Homework Club, offering a structured literacy programme designed to build reading confidence, expand vocabulary, improve spelling, and develop pronunciation and writing skills. Rather than jumping straight in at the deep end, it works by building competencies step by step, with stories and reading always at the core.
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Tim
Tim joined the Conway Homework Club (CHC) in September 2025 and has quickly become a familiar, reassuring presence for the students who come through its doors. Every week, he sits down with children to work through their Maths and Science homework, not by giving them the answers, but by asking the right questions until the penny drops.
Meet Pablo, Our Spanish Tutor
Pablo is a native Spanish speaker with a Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting. He joined Conway in September 2023 and has been teaching Spanish here ever since.
He runs an 8-week beginner course covering the basics, grammar, vocabulary, the kind of everyday language you actually need, and an intermediate course for students who want to take things further. Outside of teaching, he enjoys rock climbing and cooking, and is always on the lookout for a new recipe to try.
Emma’s Placement Story
As her final year university placement, Emma chose volunteering at Conway Education Centre’s Homework Club to help newcomer children, who experienced gaps in education, with their homework. She has been supporting the project since September 2025 and has gained valuable experience for her future career in education.
Now on the final year of her Liberal Arts with Irish degree at St Mary’s University College Belfast, Emma chose to complete her placement here, at Conway, because of her passion for education, community development and supporting young people.
By volunteering each week, Emma has seen first-hand how a supportive learning environment can help children grow academically and personally.