Junior Sheriff Elsie flies the flag for Maple Hayes at Lichfield's historic Sheriff's Ride

A dyslexic pupil who once found reading and writing almost impossible has represented Lichfield at one of the city's most celebrated annual traditions - and by all accounts she was magnificent.

Elsie Biggs, 11, a pupil at Maple Hayes Hall School, watched the Sheriff's Ride from a horse and carriage, representing both Lichfield and the school throughout the day. 

She met civic dignitaries and members of the public along the route, embracing every moment of the centuries-old tradition.

Elsie said: "This was an experience that I will remember forever and I am really grateful to Maple Hayes and the Sheriff's Ride for letting me be part of this long-standing tradition."

Her mother Laura said: "Elsie really enjoyed representing Lichfield and Maple Hayes. She met lots of lovely people and really values the experience that this opportunity has offered her. She is honoured to have been chosen and is looking forward to the next event in October."

Laura added: "Elsie has a passion for horses and was very excited to have had the opportunity to watch the ride from the horse and carriage that was provided."

Dr Daryl Brown, Co-Principal of Maple Hayes Hall School, said: "Elsie was a wonderful representative for Maple Hayes and for Lichfield. Days like this show what becomes possible when a young person finds their confidence - and Elsie has found hers in abundance. We could not be more proud of her."

Elsie's appointment as Junior Sheriff came after she was nominated by Maple Hayes in recognition of her passion for horses and her commitment to charitable work. When she joined the school in May 2023 she found reading and writing almost impossible. Today she writes in a beautiful cursive style and recently surprised herself by reading pages of a Harry Potter book.

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.