The girl who couldn't read Harry Potter - now carrying one of Lichfield's oldest civic titles
A dyslexic pupil who once found reading and writing almost impossible has been appointed Junior Sheriff of Lichfield - one of England's oldest civic traditions.
Elsie Biggs, 11, a pupil at Maple Hayes Hall School in Lichfield, was nominated by her school for the role in recognition of her love of horses and her commitment to charitable work.
Elsie took part in a robing ceremony last month (May), receiving her badge of office and replica sheriff's robes in a formal ceremony that marked the beginning of a year of civic duties, events and fundraising, culminating in the Sheriff's Ride itself in September.
The Sheriff's Ride is one of Lichfield's most celebrated annual events, rooted in a tradition that dates back to Queen Mary's Charter of 1553, which commanded that the Sheriff "perambulate the new County and City annually on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Today, riders follow a route of around 20 miles along the city's boundary, departing from the Guildhall and finishing with a ceremony at Lichfield Cathedral.
Elsie, who joined Maple Hayes in May 2023, spoke at the robing ceremony about what the appointment means to her. "Lichfield is very special to me as that is where my school is," she said. "I love horses and I am honoured to be able to take part in this tradition. I am very excited to take part in the ride in September."
Her mother Laura said: "When Elsie was at her previous school she was really struggling and was not able to access the curriculum due to not being able to really read or write at all. She reverses numbers and letters in addition to the other challenges dyslexia brings. Elsie would be really reluctant to go to school and had very low self-esteem. It was very hard for her and the family during this time. On attending Maple Hayes the transformation was unbelievable. Elsie started to have self-confidence and liked going so much she was upset when Saturday lessons stopped. Maple Hayes has quite literally changed Elsie's life."
Laura added: "Elsie can now write in beautiful cursive and her reading has progressed so much that she can confidently read books. She recently surprised herself by reading a few pages of a Harry Potter book which would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Reading something is no longer a barrier to her - from instructions for a board game to understanding a summary for a show on Netflix, there are so many frustrations she no longer has. At Maple Hayes, Elsie can contribute, and she has been a big participant in school activities."
David Lowe, headteacher of Maple Hayes Hall School, said: "We are enormously proud of Elsie. Lichfield is our home and the Sheriff's Ride is a tradition we care deeply about - the connection between the school and this ancient office feels very special. Elsie is a wonderful ambassador, both for the school and for the city."
The appointment carries particular resonance for Maple Hayes. The school's founder, Dr Neville Brown, served as Sheriff of Lichfield in 2011, and Dr Daryl Brown, Co-Principal, held the office from 2019 to 2021. Elsie's appointment continues a long-standing relationship between the school and the city's civic life.
Maple Hayes Hall School was founded by Dr Neville Brown and his wife Brenda in 1982 and has been at the forefront of dyslexia education for over four decades. The school uses a distinctive morphological approach to teaching English - developed from Dr Neville Brown's doctoral research in psycholinguistics - which uses visual icons to build links between meaning and spelling, offering an alternative to phonics-based instruction that many dyslexic learners find challenging.