Our strategy - The Next Chapter

There’s never been a more urgent time for us to inspire a new generation of children on their reading journeys. The Next Chapter sets out how we will get every child reading, regularly and by choice, so they can reap the lifechanging benefits of reading.

Family structures, routines and priorities are evolving. Millions of children face disadvantage and inequalities in their lives. And the pandemic has seen the disadvantage gap grow, threatening the wellbeing and prospects of a new generation of children.

Our ambition is to bring the benefits of reading to children in the greatest need and to achieve long-lasting impact by establishing reading habits and behaviours. Through our new strategy The Next Chapter, we want all families to establish a routine of reading together with their babies as early as possible and to continue this throughout childhood, as children learn to read independently.

Reading matters because it can have a lifelong positive impact on a child, affecting their health and wellbeing, creativity and educational outcomes.

Over the next five years we’ll prioritise support for disadvantaged children and families and children from vulnerable family backgrounds for whom the benefits of reading can be even more transformative, whilst retaining our commitment to all children through our universal activities.

This is a new and ambitious direction for us. We will draw on our research, evidence and our long and successful history of delivering engaging and impactful reading support to millions of children and their families.

Find out more about how we’ll transform our support for children and families and help them form long lasting habits and behaviours.

Download our strategy now

Kate Chisholm , headteacher at Skerne Park Primary School, said:
“Reading is a gateway to an excellent education and also an enabler for social mobility. Without the right literacy skills children often fall behind and disengage from education.”