Improving children’s outcomes: giving every child the best start in life

We were thrilled to be invited to two key events focused on improving children’s outcomes and addressing educational inequality in the UK. 

These events: the Fair Education Alliance Early Years cross-party workshop and an event on the ​‘Libraries for Primaries’ campaign highlighted why collaboration across sectors is essential. This is to ensure that no child’s future is limited by their circumstances.

Why early childhood education and literacy matter

Across the UK, too many children are being held back by poverty and limited access to educational resources. Today, one in three children in the UK are growing up in poverty – around 4.5 million children. For these children, access to books, early learning resources and literacy programmes can be restricted, putting them at a disadvantage from the start.

Research shows the impact: children from low-income households are 4.7 months behind in early learning goals, nearly five times more likely to become NEET (not in employment, education, or training), and three times more likely to be severely absent from school. This affects not just academic progress but also confidence, wellbeing and long-term life chances.

Being part of national conversations on educational inequality and early childhood opportunity allows us to bring our expertise in literacy programmes for children and early years development to the table, helping to shape solutions for a fairer future.

Fair Education Alliance at the Labour Party Conference

This week, our CEO attended the Fair Education Alliance (FEA) event at the Labour Party Conference – which focused on ensuring that no child’s success is limited by socioeconomic background.

The workshop brought together 75 education leaders and practitioners, alongside MPs including Josh McAllister OBE, Minister for Children and Families and Maya Ellis MP, Chair of the APPG for Babies. 

Discussions used a framework encompassing personal security, wellbeing, cognitive development and community engagement to highlight the factors that help children thrive.

A key takeaway? Community is critical. Children and families are more likely to engage with services they trust.

As a proud member of the FEA, we shared how our literacy programmes break down barriers for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. From developing early reading skills to boosting confidence and curiosity, our initiatives help ensure every child has the foundation to succeed.

Celebrating libraries for every school by 2029

Last week, our CEO and Head of Schools were also invited to the House of Lords to celebrate the Government’s pledge to ensure every primary school in the UK has a library by 2029.

The conversation focused on the lack of libraries in primary schools: as of 2022 one in seven schools in the UK currently did not have one, rising to one in four in disadvantaged areas.

It is a legal requirement for prisons to have libraries, but not schools. The National Literacy Trust’s Libraries for Primaries campaign has been raising awareness to change this. 

A lack of school libraries makes it almost impossible for some children to learn to read, especially when one in five children, aged five-to-eight, don’t have a book of their own at home

Libraries are more than a place to borrow books – they are spaces where children can explore ideas, develop a love of reading and build lifelong learning skills.

Hosted by the National Literacy Trust, the event marked phase two of their Libraries for Primaries campaign. 

We are thrilled to be working alongside them to support disadvantaged schools who have limited books. Through our Your Story Corner programme and Literacy Partner Programme, we are ensuring more children gain access to books and the transformative benefits of reading.

We are also grateful to have been a beneficiary of The Foyle Foundation as they wrap up their important work.

Our role in closing the literacy gap

As we approach the National Year of Reading 2026, the importance of early literacy and access to books for children cannot be overstated. Reading is not a luxury – it’s a necessity for improving children’s educational outcomes and creating equal opportunities for all.

Through initiatives like Your Story Corner, our Literacy Partner Programme and our One-to-one Reading Programme, we are working to:

• Close the literacy gap for children in low-income households
• Build stronger, more engaged communities
• Build a reading for pleasure culture in schools
• Ensure every child can read and has the best start in life

By partnering with schools, policymakers and other organisations, we are helping change the story for children across the UK, giving them the tools to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.