Mind the Gap Campaign Wrap-Up: Tackling the Literacy Gap Together

Our Campaign Journey: Spotlighting the Literacy Gap

The literacy gap in the UK continues to affect thousands of children, limiting confidence, academic success and future opportunities. 

Mind the Gap was our UK-wide literacy campaign, aiming to tackle the literacy gap by encouraging action to help children develop a lifelong love of reading.

Here’s a look back at what we achieved – and why closing the literacy gap matters more than ever.

About the Mind the Gap literacy campaign

The literacy gap describes the difference in reading attainment between disadvantaged children and their peers. Research shows that children who struggle with reading from an early age are far less likely to succeed academically later in life.

Strong literacy skills support:

• learning across every subject
• confidence and wellbeing
• long-term employment opportunities

Mind the Gap was our way of making this journey visible, showing how early reading support can help close it for good.

What we did during the campaign

We launched the campaign with a powerful panel event exploring the findings of our first impact survey. Across social media, we invited our audience to travel through a series of ​“life stations” – each revealing a moment where the literacy gap widens, and the people who are working to close it. 

Early Years

We began our journey in the early years, where so many children start school already behind. Parents and early years creators like Mrs Brown’s Book Box shared simple, joyful ways to build reading habits into everyday home life, showing families that small moments can make a big difference. 

Primary Years 

In the primary years, we highlighted how reading underpins every subject – and how one in four children in England leave primary school unable to read well (1). Authors such as Rob Biddulph helped us show why reading for pleasure matters so much at this stage, fueling curiosity and confidence that helps to support a lifelong love of reading. 

Stories from teachers and volunteers reminded us that targeted support during the primary years, can change a child’s trajectory. 

Secondary Years 

As we moved into the secondary years, the gap becomes even more stark – 20% of 15-year-olds read at the level of an 11-year-old (2).

Author Janeen Hayat explains that ​“the gap between children from low income households and others is still really wide, that gap is an average of five months when children start primary school and it can grow to over 19 months when they leave secondary school.” (3) 

She stresses that ​“literacy is absolutely key to closing that gap”, shaping qualifications, employability and future opportunities. Hear more from Janeen here. 

Transitioning to work and higher education 

When we explored the transition into work and higher education, the challenges became unmistakably clear: reading is essential for everyday tasks – from completing job and university applications to navigating workplace communication. Yet, 6.6 million adults in England still struggle with reading (4). 

CBBC Presenter, Ben Cajee shared how reading has supported his own career journey, reinforcing that literacy shapes opportunity long after school ends and remains a vital skill for young people entering the world of work. 

Working life 

Working life brought another layer to the story. We explored how lower literacy links to fewer job options, lower pay and limited progression – with those who struggle with reading earning, on average, £33,000 less over their lifetime (5). 

Volunteers and authors helped us show what that means in real, everyday terms, with Kavin from PwC sharing how literacy is a ​“gateway skill that helps the next generation to be successful”.

Health, life expectancy & the cycle 

Our final ​“station” focused on health, life expectancy and the impact on the next generation. We explored how poor literacy can impact someone’s ability to read prescriptions, appointment letters or seek health advice, and how this affects long-term wellbeing and life expectancy. 

The responses reinforce exactly why literacy is such a vital public health issue. When people can’t access or act on basic health information, every part of life becomes harder – and the effects accumulate over time.

What we learned from our reading volunteers

Volunteers from PWC shared the books that shaped them as children, reminding us how early reading experiences can echo across a lifetime. Watch their video here.

Across every step of the journey, one message rang true: reading for pleasure is one of the simplest, strongest and most effective ways to close the literacy gap. And it’s never too early, or too late, to begin. 

Taking the conversation offline: events and activations

King’s Cross volunteer activation 

Volunteers and Community Ambassadors stationed themselves at King’s Cross to speak directly with the public, handing out resources and raising awareness about the pressing issue of children’s illiteracy in the UK. Every conversation helped build momentum towards a future with fewer children left behind. 

Tube adverts across the London Underground

Our tube ads appeared across major stations – turning heads and sparking important conversations about the literacy gap. These bold creatives encouraged Londoners to pause and reflect on the hidden reality of low literacy. Did you spot our tube adverts?