Apply for our Roots to Reading Programme
Transform your school’s reading culture with free high-quality books, inspiring resources and proven support worth over £2,000.
Ignite a love of reading in your school
Many primary schools face tight budgets, limited access to engaging books and low pupil enthusiasm for reading – making it difficult to build a strong reading culture.
Our Roots to Reading Programme provides a fully funded, ready-to-use package with 200 high-quality books, classroom resources and teacher support to spark reading for pleasure across your school.
We prioritise primary schools serving disadvantaged communities or with below-average reading attainment to reach the children who need us most. Register your school’s interest below to apply and a member of our team will be in touch.
Applications close on Tuesday 30 June.
What’s included in a Roots to Reading pack?
- 200 new, high-quality books suitable for children aged 4 – 11
- Exclusive access to Reading for Pleasure training, CPD and more
- Annual subscription to our children’s magazine, The Story Corner
- Posters, postcards, worksheets and a certificate to help encourage reading for pleasure
- The chance to win additional resources through the ‘Roots to Reading’ competition
- Support and inspiration for ‘book chat’ to create a whole-school reading culture
What schools are eligible?
We partner with schools in areas of deprivation with higher than national average levels of pupil premium and IDACI figures (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index) along with lower than national average figures for Key Stage 2 reading levels.
Our programme’s impact in 2024/25
In 2024/25 we reached 132 schools, donating £264,000 worth of books and reading resources.
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94%
of teachers said the programme inspired improvements in their school’s reading culture
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84%
saw pupils reading a wider range of texts
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98%
of teachers saw improved reading enjoyment
What schools are saying
Boost engagement, expand reading choice and build a whole-school reading culture – with everything ready to use.
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All my children have loved engaging in age-appropriate books and the enthusiasm and enjoyment is still going strong. The book corner books sent were lovely quality and an amazing, diverse range. One Sikh boy commented ‘that character on the front cover is wearing a turban and looks like me.’ The books have filled our classroom book corner shelves, are used every day by the children and have had a huge impact on reading within my class. There is something for every ability level.
Teacher at a Bookmark partner school 
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We seriously need to inspire our young readers and improve their life chances. This is an almost impossible job with the horrendous, out-of-date books from the 80s that occupy our library and so I can’t wait to share the new books with the children in September. The staff and children at our school honestly can’t thank you all enough for the diverse and engaging books that you have gifted to us. I can promise you that in this school you have changed lives.
Teacher at Bookmark partner school 
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The children were thrilled with the diverse selection of books. The excitement has spread across the school, and it’s wonderful to see pupils motivated to read more. This programme will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on their reading levels.
Assistant Principal at Woodlands Primary Academy 
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The support from Bookmark has been truly inspiring and has motivated us to enhance our school’s reading for pleasure provision. With the new books and resources, we’ve started reimagining our reading spaces to make them more inviting and engaging for pupils and timetabled book clubs for our pupils, fostering a love for reading across the entire school community.
Teacher at a Bookmark partner school 
