Three little pigs at St Cyprian's Greek Orthodox VA Primary school are not scared of the big bad wolf when their families learn with them.

Fourteen mums and a dad joined their children in the classroom for a 12-week family literacy programme at the school and were awarded certificates from Croydon Education and Training Scheme (CETS) from Croydon's mayor Stuart Collins last Thursday.

Literacy and confidence among pupils and their parents at the Thornton Heath school has improved thanks to a joint venture between staff from CETS and the school.

Mum Jan Cochrane, who attended classes twice a week separately and jointly with daughter Eliza, said: "Just spending time with my daughter was wonderful.

"Brushing up on things we haven't learned since we were at school was great."

Since its opening in September 2000, there has been great interest in the school's development.

St Cyprian's is the first Greek Orthodox voluntary-aided school in Britain and funded by the Greek and Cypriot governments, it offers Greek Orthodox religious learning.

The school's head teacher hopes bi-lingual literacy would be part of the family literacy programme next year.