Discover our 2024/25 Impact Report
We’re excited to share our latest Impact Report, highlighting the difference we made over the 24/25 academic year. We supported 180,979 children through our 10 literacy programmes — a 92% increase on the previous year — helping build a strong reading-for-pleasure culture in primary schools, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Guided by our vision that every child should read, we work to give children the joy of reading and the literacy skills they need to thrive.
This year marked the first of our three-year strategy, focused on purposeful growth and meaningful impact. We’re on track to reach our goal of supporting 500,000 children through our literacy programmes by 2027.
This progress is only possible thanks to our volunteers, partners, donors and supporters.
Here’s how we made an impact across our five pathways:
1. One-to-one reading support and positive role models
Our One-to-one Reading Programme, delivered through more than 2,000 dedicated volunteers, inspires children to build confidence, fluency and a lifelong love of reading.
Teachers identify children in Years 1 to 6 who would benefit most from regular one-to-one reading time, and we match them with a volunteer. They meet for regular 30-minute sessions to provide this support.
This year 2,242 children received one-to-one reading sessions. Teacher response to our programme was overwhelmingly positive: 100% of teachers felt that our One-to-one Reading Programme provided children with the opportunity to discover the joy of reading and 96% noticed an increase in reading confidence.
He’s made five years reading progress on a standardised reading test in one year. So from July 2024 to July 2025, he’s gone from six years to 11 years in his reading age. Which is bonkers.
-
2,242
children received one-to-one reading sessions
-
40,239
one-to-one reading sessions delivered in 2024/25
2. High-quality reading resources and reading spaces
Our partner school programmes ensure every school has what it needs to create a dynamic, vibrant reading culture. In 2024/25 we delivered 70,329 high quality diverse books and supported 399 schools in disadvantaged communities up and down the UK.
Every term we issue themed Rocket Pack book bundles accompanied by an Inspiration Pack to help teachers deliver inspiring, literacy-focused assemblies and class activities. In 2024/25, we delivered 603 Rocket Packs and more than 12,000 books to our partner schools.
Our termly magazine, The Story Corner, is designed for children who may not have books at home. Each issue is packed with diverse stories, engaging activities and competitions from top children’s authors, and inspire children’s imagination and creativity outside the classroom.
3. Teacher training and resources
This year, we offered grants to primary schools for Literacy CPD or to support the development of a whole-school reading culture. Schools applied for funding with proposals based on their own needs and priorities – our grants allow each school to propose what will make the most immediate difference for their pupils. This year, our grants totalled £11,000.
We want to foster whole-school reading cultures that will last – our School Network Programme builds on the foundation of the Your Story Corner (now known as Roots to Reading) initiative to provide sustainable, ongoing support to schools. Each school in the network benefits from up to £1,000 of resources per year, plus access to materials and training.
I have learned so much more about how to promote reading for pleasure. Access to CPD has been great. This means that I have been able to develop initiatives across the school and develop our whole school approach.”
4. Creating a reading buzz across the whole school
Crucial to encouraging reading for pleasure is building a reading buzz across schools – we want children to be excited about reading, to share the stories they’re reading with each other and to engage in literacy activities.
One programme through which we do this is our Your Story Corner programme (now called Roots to Reading). Over 2024/25, we delivered this programme in:
- Rochdale: 29 schools received 5,800 books
- Derby and Derbyshire: 80 schools received 16,000 books
- Hull: 23 schools received 4,600 books
-
98%
of teachers told us reading enjoyment improved as a result of our Your Story Corner Programme
-
94%
of teachers said the Your Story Corner programme inspired improvements in their school’s reading culture
Reading opens a firework in my heart, one that feels new every time. I feel a spark lighting up in my heart as I read, nothing matters, not the past, not the future, only now.
5. Family and parental engagement
Family engagement is a crucial element of encouraging reading for pleasure – family reading supports school learning to build confidence and enjoyment. We want to build a reading ecosystem that surrounds each child.
Our Books Clubs engage parents by encouraging them to celebrate their child’s work with them at the end of a programme. As one teacher described, “On the final session, we invited all the parents of the children who had attended, and they all came in and sat with their children while they did that last session and got to share the work with them.”
Over 2024/25, our Book Clubs were enjoyed by 3,600 children at 147 Book Clubs across our partner schools. Next year, we’re looking forward to launching “The Page Explorers Club”, a picture Book Club aimed at KS1 children.
We are proud to have provided access to resources for 15,937 families across 90 schools this year.
Looking ahead
We are excited to continue to work towards achieving our 2024 – 27 strategy – ensuring even more children can discover the joy of reading. Read the full 24/25 Impact Report.
