A South Bristol school that has pioneered a nationally successful reading initiative has been praised by MP and Government Minister Dawn Primarolo.

Victoria Park Infant School was one of the first in the city and the country to run Reading Recovery sessions for children at risk of falling behind with literacy.

The one-to-one lessons for six-year-olds with specialist teachers enable them to catch up with their peers .

The project comes under a programme called Every Child a Reader (ECaR), which offers appropriate intervention at an early stage to help children read.

Although critics say it is expensive to operate, supporters say the initiative will save the country money in the long run by improving children's life chances.

Bristol has 43 schools running ECaR lessons and is helping to introduce the programme in North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.

Ms Primarolo, Labour MP for Bristol South and a Health Minister, said she was impressed that children at Victoria Park were rapidly improving their reading ages.

She said: "Victoria Park's Reading Recovery programme has turned the school around. It wasn't long ago that half the pupils left the infant school without being able to read. Now no one does.

"The children I met were so enthusiastic about their reading, and they are learning skills which will be absolutely essential to them throughout their lives. The work that the head teacher, teachers, staff and volunteers do to help children to experience the joy of reading is phenomenal and a real inspiration. "

Debbie Miles, who started Reading Recovery at the school in 1999 and now leads the citywide programme, said: "It has been a 10-year journey for us. I am so proud that we have been recognised as a lead school and can share our good practice across the city."