Starting school strong with our Story Starter Programme packs
This summer, we were proud to deliver 3,970 Story Starter Programme packs to 84 schools across the country – each one designed to support children aged four-to-five as they prepare to start primary school in September.
Our Story Starter Programme aims to ignite a love of reading from the very beginning of a child’s educational journey. These literacy resource packs include storybooks, creative materials and activities to build confidence and inspire imagination.
A huge thank you to our fantastic corporate partners: Barings and Bank of America, who generously gave their time and energy to help us pack the resources. Thanks to their support, hundreds of children and families will receive a warm welcome to reading and storytelling this September.
We know that starting school is a big milestone – and we believe that a strong start with stories can make all the difference. We had the pleasure of visiting Sladefield Primary School and Kearlsey West Primary School – our partner schools in Birmingham and Bolton – to deliver our Story Starter Programme packs in person.
The response from families, teachers and children was overwhelmingly positive, with children exploring the contents of the packs with their teachers, new classmates and families.
Why early-year intervention is crucial
Research shows that supporting children’s reading development before formal schooling begins can make a lasting difference. Here’s why early intervention matters:
- Boosts language and literacy skills, helping children develop vocabulary, listening and comprehension
- Supports cognitive development by enhancing memory, attention span and learning behaviours
- Encourages creativity and imagination through stories that inspire curiosity and expression
- Strengthens parent-child relationships by building shared routines around reading
- Improves long-term academic outcomes, with early language skills closely linked to later attainment
- Helps close the attainment gap, particularly in areas of socio-economic disadvantage
Inspiring a love of reading
One of the key highlights in our latest Story Starter Programme packs is storybook, Godfrey is a Frog – a charming and imaginative story by author and illustrator Alex Latimer.
We spoke to Alex about his passion for storytelling.
Alex said he loves being an author because he gets “to write such fun and weird books.” He commented, “time travelling monkeys? Yes! A society of mean geese? Absolutely! Talking dinosaurs? Why not!”
Alex’s work is fuelled by his deep curiosity about the world. “I always want to know the names of plants and butterflies and the meanings of words and where things come from”, he shared.
His message to young readers is simple but powerful: “Reading opens the whole history of knowledge to us. It can help you become whoever you want to be… that’s the magic of reading.”
He also reminds us that reading is a personal journey: “Sometimes a book that I love won’t work for someone else – and that’s okay. There are plenty of books in the world. You don’t have to finish them all.”
A stronger start for a brighter future
This summer’s launch of our Story Starter Programme packs has been a joyful and important step in helping children begin their school journey with confidence and excitement.
With every Story Starter pack delivered, we’re helping children start their own stories.
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Read moreResearch sources:
National Literacy Trust (2022): Children with low literacy are more likely to struggle with school readiness, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF): Oral language interventions and early literacy activities have strong evidence of improving outcomes for young children.
Department for Education (DfE) – Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (2023): Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly less likely to achieve a good level of development.
Royal Foundation’s “Big Change Starts Small” Report (2021): Investing in early years is one of the most effective ways to improve life chances.
Save the Children UK (2016): Children who fall behind in early language are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in English at age 11.
