Schools, Local Authorities & Corporates

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), developing a love of reading can be more important for a child’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic background. The benefits of reading for pleasure go way beyond academic achievement. Increased breadth of vocabulary, pleasure in reading in later life, a better understanding of other cultures, better general knowledge, improved well-being, emotional intelligence, ability to process difficult emotions, resilience and even a greater insight into human nature are all benefits which can be attributed to reading.

  

  

More so, literacy is not reserved to English lessons only, it can greatly help with writing in History, explanations in science, debate participation etc. Almost 400,000 (1 in 8) children in the U.K. do not own a single book. The Book ownership and reading outcomes report found that children who own a book are 15 times more likely to read above the level expected for their age, so book ownership is pretty important. Besides this, the pandemic has resulted in about 200,000 children entering secondary school unable to read properly.

    

Not only that, stats around diversity in children's books are worrying. The CLPE Reflecting Realities Report of 2020, found that only 5% of children’s books published in 2019 (8% in 2020) had a black, Asian or minority ethnic main character, despite 33.5% of school children being of black Asian or minority ethnic origins. In other words, an animal or an in-animate object is 38% more likely to be featured as a main character in a children's book!

  

   

That is why we are so passionate about all things reading.

• Are you a Head/Teacher keen for your school to become an outstanding reading school by enhancing literacy outcomes, diversity & inclusion awareness?

            

• Are you a school or hospital librarian wanting to breath life into your book collection?

• Are you a Virtual School or Pupil Referral Unit Head seeking ways to better the academic, social mobility, language and communication potential of the children in your care using their pupil premium allocation?

• Are you a Local Authority wanting to use Pupil Premium to better the welfare and support provided to looked after children or those at the edge of care? 

• Is your Corporate organisation committed to literacy promotion as a way to improve social mobility and exercise the commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion initiatives?