1 in 4 children in England don't reach the expected reading level by age 11, rising to 1 in 3 for disadvantaged children. Schoolreaders matches volunteers with pupils who need extra reading support, helping them gain confidence and improve literacy so they can access secondary education and beyond.
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Without good literacy, children struggle to access their secondary school education, risking functional illiteracy - which has life-long consequences and affects 1 in 7 adults in England. Poor literacy is linked to homelessness, poor health, and crime; over half of prisoners read below the level expected of an 11-year-old. Many children fall behind simply because they lack one-to-one reading time with an adult.
Schoolreaders recruits, trains, and supports volunteers to give children weekly one-to-one reading support in primary schools for at least a year. We focus on the most disadvantaged areas and are the only nationwide charity offering this service free to schools. Last year, nearly half the children we supported were in receipt of pupil premium compared to the national average figure of 27%.
