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We've got some fantastic news to share as we celebrate a decade of Schoolreaders making a difference. 2,000 incredible volunteers across 1,000 schools are supporting a whopping 20,000 children with one to one reading support every single week - thanks to you! There is more to this than the numbers; our volunteers are helping to change the life-stories of these children. It couldn’t be done without the incredible support of our volunteers and supporters, so from each of the 20,000 children who benefit from reading support this week—THANK YOU! In our recent annual research, a whopping 93% of participating schools reported that spending time with a Schoolreaders volunteer significantly boosted children's reading confidence. Children just like Sally May… Sally May is a bright and enthusiastic nine-year-old attending a school in one of the top 10 most deprived communities of the country. She has her own story to tell about the impact of Schoolreaders; "Schoolreaders have helped me a lot in my reading. When I was little, my mouth wasn't working properly to say some words, but Miss Nicholson helped me say loads of different words I couldn't say before. It makes me feel proud, and it makes me feel like Miss Nicholson is precious to me—she’s my treasure." If you are planning to make a donation to Schoolreaders this Christmas, between November 28th and December 5th, every £1 you donate will be doubled. That means, for one week, every £30 you contribute, two children get a full year of life-changing one-to-one reading support. It means that every donation will have twice the impact. Thank you once again for helping us to change children’s life chances – one page at a time.

Are you eager to make a positive impact on young readers' lives this academic year? Our County Ambassadors, who are also dedicated volunteer readers, have shared some invaluable tips to help you get started or enhance your experience when returning to school. If you have any ideas to add to this, please feel free to send them to admin@schoolreaders.org. We hope you have a rewarding and enjoyable time reading in school this year. 1. Build Relationships with Reception Staff: Establish friendly connections with the reception staff whenever possible. They can provide valuable support and information during your visits! 2. Consistency Matters: Request a list of the children you'll be reading with from the teacher(s) if possible. Encourage teachers to assign you the same children each week, fostering consistency. Periodically changing students, perhaps on a half termly basis, can also be beneficial if more children could benefit from your help. 3. Address Preferences: Ask the teacher how they want the children to address you. Some may prefer formal titles like Mrs., Mr., or Miss, while others may like the informality of first names. 4. Understand the School's Routine: Ask the school to explain a typical reading session in school, these will differ by age group. Ideally, you'll have time for a brief chat at the beginning and to offer praise at the end of the reading session. 5. Stay Informed About School Schedules: Familiarize yourself with the school's inset days, class trips, and holidays, as these vary among schools. We don’t want you to turn up if the school is closed! 6. Bring a Notebook: Consider carrying a notebook to jot down children's names and the page they reached in their books. This can be especially helpful as children don’t always remember what page they got up to. 7. Maintain Reading Records: While many schools may ask you to complete a reading record for each child, if they don’t, consider writing down how they have read and if there is anything you want to concentrate on with them next time. 8. Don't Be Shy: Some people feel nervous about interrupting a class to pull out the readers – there is no need to feel you are being disrespectful. Teachers would usually prefer you to pop your head in to say hello and to let them know you have arrived so you can collect the first child. Once you have started with one child it can be less disrupting to get that child to send the next one on your list - they like doing that! 9. Choose a Quiet Spot: If you're reading in a public area, position yourself and the child so your backs are to the traffic flow. If it is busy and noisy the children can get distracted but having your backs to the hullabaloo definitely helps! 10. Bring Visual Aids: Consider bringing props or visual aids related to the reading material to engage the children. Always check with the teacher first to ensure it's appropriate. 11. Promote Comprehension: Encourage understanding by asking questions like, "How do you think the character feels?" or "What might happen next?" This helps children develop comprehension and analytical skills. 12. Tailor Your Approach: Recognize that each teacher has a unique approach, and some focus more on volunteer readers than others. If children frequently receive books that are too easy or too difficult, consult the Teaching Assistant for advice on appropriate reading levels. 13. Assist with Difficult Words: If a child is struggling with challenging words, read a sentence aloud, discuss it with the child, and then have them read the same sentence back to you. This method enhances engagement and improves vocabulary. 14. Be Patient and Take Initiative: Understand that teachers are often busy and overwhelmed and may not always be able to make time to chat with you. Be patient and proactive, taking the initiative to build a warm and friendly relationship. Over time, as they witness the children's progress, they may become more engaged with you. 15. Adapt to Changes: Lessons do sometimes change and this can impact on your sessions – you may have to fill in ten minutes if assembly or a PE lesson is scheduled and clashes with your allocated session time. When this happens it is fine to say to the teacher that your volunteer period is set and that because of the change you will have to read with one less pupil and pick them up the following week. Of course if you have the flexibility to stay an extra 10 minutes to read with them that is great. 16. Spread Smiles and Fun: Finally, remember to greet each child with a smile as they arrive, and most importantly, have fun during your time as a Schoolreaders volunteer!

On Friday 28th of July, The October Club, a committee of philanthropists based in the City, held their first fundraising event of the year, raising an incredible £8,580 for Schoolreaders with a day at Ascot Racecourse. Since 1987, The October Club has raised over £15 million for transformational projects across 35 charities. In 2023 it will raise funds for our Northern England expansion programme, allowing Schoolreaders to provide one to one reading support to an additional 26,000 children across areas of deprivation in the North of England. The Ascot Race Day was a great opportunity for representatives from Schoolreaders, including staff, trustees and supporters, to get to know The October Club committee and explain more about the importance of our work in promoting lifelong literacy. With the weather on side, it was a fantastic day of raising funds for Schoolreaders. Funds were raised through a raffle, a live auction, and an enthusiastic game of ‘heads or tails’! A massive thank you must go out to Berenberg, the sponsor for the day’s event, and those who kindly supplied generous prizes for the auction and raffle, including; Richard Morcombe, Alice Garnett, David Coubrough, Elly Polhill, Serena Ansell and Augustine Jewels. The top highlight for all must have been attending ‘The Berenberg October Club Supporting Schoolreaders Fillies Handicap’ stakes, a race dedicated to Schoolreaders. Charity founder Jane Whitbread was asked to judge the most well-presented horse of the race and presented a prize to the winning groom. A huge thank you once again to The October Club, Berenberg, and all those who worked so hard to make the day a great success. You can help to support Schooreaders here.

Current job opportunities at Schoolreaders To apply for any of the below positions, please download the job application form using the links, and email it along with a copy of your c.v and cover letter to: apply@schoolreaders.org Head of Fundraising Place of work: Bedford Office (Hybrid) Hours: Full-time or part-time (30 to 37.5 (full time) hours per week) Salary : £43,000 - £48,000 per year (pro rata to hours worked per week) Reporting to: CEO ​ About Schoolreaders: Schoolreaders was launched ten years ago in Bedfordshire with the aim of recruiting volunteers to provide one-to-one reading support for children in primary schools across the country. Over 22,000 children in over 1000 schools are receiving weekly reading sessions from a Schoolreaders volunteer. One in four children are leaving primary school unable to read to the expected Government standard. Our service is needed more than ever before with 1 in 6 primary schools across the country asking Schoolreaders for reading volunteers. Building on past successes, we have ambitious plans to expand our provision, focussing on areas of deprivation in which children need our support the most. ​ Role Description: We are looking for a highly motivated, experienced Head of Fundraising to lead our small, dynamic Schoolreaders fundraising team and help grow income in line with the Charity's ambitious and exciting plans. This is the ideal opportunity for someone hoping to achieve great results within a rapidly growing charity which is impacting the lives of thousands of children every week. ​ What you can expect: A highly rewarding, senior fundraising role where you can develop your own skills whilst making your mark on a fast growing national children's charity. Schoolreaders is a highly professional charity which values every team member's contribution to our team efforts. We offer a generous holiday allowance, enhanced sick pay, an employee assistance programme, plus training and development opportunities. If you want to lead a great team in a fast moving, welcoming environment whilst making a huge impact on children's literacy across the country, this could be the perfect role for you! ​ Applications will be reviewed, and interviews offered, on an ongoing basis. We reserve the right to close the role prior to the closing date should a suitable applicant be found, so please submit your application as soon as possible. Schoolreaders is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and requires staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to a range of vetting checks including a basic disclosure check of unspent criminal convictions. ​ Schoolreaders is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales (1159157) Diversity monitoring form Job application data processing form Job Description IT & Data Officer ​ Place of work: Bedford Office Hours: 37.5 hours per week Salary: £25,000 - £28,000 depending on experience Reporting to: Business Support Manager Minimum 30 hours per week or full-time ​ Please note, we are actively seeking candidates for this vacancy and will be conducting interviews throughout the duration that the role remains open. Due to the ongoing interview process, we reserve the right to close the position earlier than the specified deadline. We encourage interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible to ensure consideration. ​ Role Description: To support the growth of the charity, Schoolreaders is specifically focused on developing its Business Support Department. As part of this, we are looking for a dynamic and pragmatic IT & Data Officer. You will be coming onboard to support the day-to-day management and help in the development of the charities IT systems. This role will report into the Business Support Manager. You will work alongside the Business Support Manager (BSM) and external contractors to ensure the ongoing delivery of reliable IT services and get involved in the projects to develop our IT capabilities. This is a varied role that would suit a graduate or someone with experience of working in an IT role who is looking to develop both their technical and customer service skills. You would also need to have a self-starting attitude and be happy to get stuck in as you will be working in a small friendly team. There may be occasion for you to support colleagues outside of your IT role. ​ Duties and Responsibilities: Provide first (and second where possible) line support for all the charity’s IT systems. Co-ordinate and assist external contractors on third line support issues. Set up new IT equipment including laptops and software Become the “go to” person for any IT questions for the Schoolreaders team. Plan and execute IT projects as part of the charity’s IT annual strategy. Support the fundraising and operations teams in their use of the CRM, including producing reports. Assist the BSM in developing the charity’s IT strategy and annual plans. Occasional help with other business support functions Trusts & Grants Manager Place of work: Bedford Office with hybrid working Hours: 30 - 37 hours per week over 4/5 days Salary: £36,000 - £39,000 p/a Reporting to: Head of Fundraising Please note, we are actively seeking candidates for this vacancy and will be conducting interviews throughout the duration that the role remains open. Due to the ongoing interview process, we reserve the right to close the position earlier than the specified deadline. We encourage interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible to ensure consideration. ​ Schoolreaders was launched ten years ago in Bedfordshire with the aim of recruiting volunteers to provide one-to-one reading support for children in primary schools across the country. Over 22,000 children in over 1000 schools are receiving weekly reading sessions from a Schoolreaders volunteer. One in four children are leaving primary school unable to read to the expected Government standard. Our service is needed more than ever before with 1 in 6 primary schools across the country asking Schoolreaders for reading volunteers. Building on past successes, we have ambitious plans to expand our provision, focussing on areas of deprivation in which children need our support the most. Role Description: We are looking for an experienced, and highly motivated Trusts Manager to join the small, dynamic Schoolreaders fundraising team. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who wants to play a key role in a fast-growing charity that is impacting the lives of thousands of children every week. ​ What we are looking for: Schoolreaders is looking for a Trusts Manager who can take the lead in maintaining and growing our well-established support from trusts and foundations. You will have a portfolio of trust supporters along with experience of being involved in research, bid-writing, face-to-face meetings as well as achieving fundraising targets. You will oversee a small and enthusiastic team of part time trust officers. ​ You will have the opportunity to work with the Head of Fundraising to develop a medium to long term strategy to ensure sustainable support from both existing and potential trust and foundation supporters. There will be an ongoing need to research and identify grant-funding in both national and local statutory grants. ​ You will have reporting and budgetary experience which will support your input into annual budget plans and monthly reporting requirements as well developing and maintaining our fundraising database. ​ We have a fantastic team of volunteers based throughout the counties of England who you will work with to maximise fundraising opportunities. ​ You will have a strong knowledge of fundraising legislation and good practice. ​ If you have excellent interpersonal and written communication skills, if you’re highly motivated with excellent organisation abilities and love working as part of a team this could be the role for you! ​ Ideally, you will have a minimum of 2 years line management and trust / grant experience with a proven track record of generating significant one-off and multi-year grants from major trusts and grant makers. Other Ability to travel to occasional meetings with supporters as required: Essential ​ What you can expect: An exciting and rewarding role where you can develop your own trust management skills whilst making your mark on a fast-growing national children’s charity. Schoolreaders is a highly professional charity which values every team-member’s contribution to our team efforts. We offer a generous holiday allowance, enhanced sick pay, an employee assistance programme, plus training and development opportunities. If you want to be part of a great team in a fast-moving, welcoming environment whilst making a huge impact on children’s literacy across the country, this could be the perfect role for you! ​ Main Duties ​ ​ 1. To take the lead in maintaining and growing our well-established support from trusts and foundations. You will manage your own portfolio of trust supporters, involving research, bid-writing and meeting monitoring requirements, plus face-to-face meetings, often at the highest level. 2. To line manage a trust officer, (one part time direct report). 3. To work with the Head of Fundraising to develop a medium to long-term fundraising strategy for developing sustainable support from existing and potential trust and foundation supporters where possible aiming for multi-year partnerships. 4. To research and identify other sources of grant-funding, including national and local statutory grants. 5. To input into annual budget plans, monitor progress and income on an ongoing basis, and prepare monthly variance reports for the trusts/grants team. 6. To help develop and maintain our fundraising database and our systems for applying and reporting to trusts and grant-makers, to ensure effective coordination across the team. 7. To make face-to-face presentations and represent Schoolreaders as necessary. 8. To work with other members of the Schoolreaders team, including our volunteer County Teams, to maximise opportunities for fundraising from trusts and grant-makers. 9. To ensure that the role is carried out in accordance with fundraising legislation and good practice. 10. To ensure that due diligence is carried out thoroughly with all funding partners. 11. To carry out any other duties which are relevant and appropriate to the role. ​ Personal Specification Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills (including PowerPoint presentations) Excellent written skills with an ability to write compelling, informative bids and reports Proactive and highly motivated, with excellent organisation skills Proven ability to work with others in a team and to motivate others Ability to successfully prioritise workload with competing deadlines Results-orientated with evidence of achieving ambitious targets Excellent relationship management Strong research, analytical and report writing skills Knowledge and understanding of good practice and legislation relating to fundraising, including GDPR Fully computer literate with excellent IT skills including high competency in excel. Hands on experience of fundraising databases Experience using Salesforce Proven experience of managing budgets At least 2 years line management experience At least 2 years relevant trusts / grants fundraising experience Proven track record of generating significant one off and multi-year grants from major trusts and grant makers Ability to travel to occasional meetings with supporters as required ​ ​ Diversity monitoring form Job application data processing form Job application form Office Administrator Job Title: Office Administrator Hours of work: 25 to 37.5 hours per week over 5 days Monday to Friday within office hours which are 9am - 5pm with 30-minute lunch break Salary: £23,500 (FTE) Contract: 3-year contract Reporting to: Head of Operations Location : Office based, Bedford Heights, Brickhill Drive, MK41 7PH An exciting opportunity to become part of the operations team at Schoolreaders, a small, young and fast-growing charity that is expanding to help more children learn to read across the country. Schoolreaders operations team recruits volunteers from local communities and matches them to a primary school where they listen to children read on a one-to-one basis. We support over 24,000 children in over 1,000 schools every week with a Schoolreaders volunteer. Our aim is to make a real difference to the state of literacy in the UK, particularly for those children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. One in four children are leaving primary school not able to read to the expected standard. The core of the operation is recruiting volunteers in target areas for specific schools. The operations team then process the volunteer and school applicants, match the volunteer to the best-fit school, and then there is ongoing management of, and communication with the volunteers and schools. Your skills and experience will reflect excellent administrative skills, strong organisational skills, customer service ability, familiarity with telephone and on-line communication, and effective spoken and written English. You need to be competent with Microsoft Office and IT generally and it would be an advantage to have experience with the Salesforce CRM system. ​ Main purpose and scope of the job: To work within a small team to support the operations function of the charity on a daily basis. This role involves dealing with all aspects of administration including: enquiries, managing post and couriers, providing administrative support to the head of operations manager and wider operations team, booking meeting rooms and setting up zoom calls, organising mail-outs and other tasks which contribute to a smooth running operation. This is an office-based role. Key Duties and Responsibilities: · Providing administrative support for the operations team, county teams and head of operations · Dealing with general email and directing phone enquiries · E-mail inbox management and prioritisation · Assisting with the filing and archiving of documentation (online and offline) · Managing the volunteer lanyard process · Completing administrative tasks including customer engagement · Managing and ordering promotional materials · Carrying out printing, photocopying, and preparing presentation documents · Minute taking of meetings · Data entry and updating different databases · Managing and distributing all incoming and outgoing post and couriers · Providing support for mass mailshots and partner surveys · Undertaking research as needed for operations · Carrying out any other duties which are relevant and appropriate to the role Diversity monitoring form Job application form Job Description Job application data processing form Volunteer and School Recruitment Co-ordinator Location: Home based, with travel to schools and volunteer events in the North of England plus occasional head office meetings in Bedford, MK41 7PH Salary: £23,500 (FTE) Contract : 3-year contract. Hours of work: 30 to 37.5 hours per week to be worked within 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday with 30-minute lunch break Reports to: Senior Recruitment Coordinator ​ Role Description: An exciting opportunity to become part of the operations team at Schoolreaders, a small, young and fast-growing charity that is expanding to help more children learn to read across the country. The Schoolreaders operations team recruits volunteers from local communities and matches them to a primary school where they listen to children read on a one-to-one basis. We support over 24,000 children in over 1,000 schools every week with a Schoolreaders volunteer. We are looking for a committed individual to join Schoolreaders to be part of the team delivering the new North of England Project, with the aim to support 26,000 children over the 3 years of the project. This role is to recruit primary schools and corresponding targeted volunteers in the Northern counties and then support both parties to enable active volunteers are in school supporting children read as soon as possible. This is a pivotal role and will require adaptability. Your skills and experience will reflect volunteer and customer service ability, presenting skills, excellent organisational skills, a strong familiarity with telephone and on-line communication with the public, and excellent spoken and written English. You need to be competent with Excel and IT generally and it would be an advantage to have experience with the Salesforce CRM system. A background in the education sector would also be beneficial. ​ Main purpose and scope of the job: To be one of two roles that co-ordinate the volunteer and school targeted recruitment for Schoolreaders in the Northern counties. This includes managing the county ambassador volunteers and working with the operations team when Schoolreaders launch in the new Northern counties. Schoolreaders currently has 2,400 volunteers and receives 200+ applications each month. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Recruit schools within specific counties with particular focus on areas with the biggest need as per KPI’s. Recruit volunteers in specific areas within counties for schools as per annual targets and work to retain existing volunteers. Proactively look for innovative ways to increase volunteer and school applications Co-ordinate and support the county volunteer teams to recruit volunteers in targeted areas. Build strong relationships with partner schools to develop on-going partnerships ensuring more volunteers are placed and retained by the school and more children reached. Engage and manage relationships with a range of stakeholders, including education organisations, multi-academy trusts, local authorities and other organisations such as community groups to recruit both schools and volunteers in targeted areas. Schools research, engagement and influencing. Support schools through the process from sign-up to having active volunteers in school each week, sharing best practice and advice on retention of volunteers. Actively promote the volunteering opportunity through events both online and in-person. Regularly attend in-person events where you will present and recruit volunteers and attend school recruitment opportunities as required. Plan and run campaigns and use social media to recruit volunteers. Produce regular county reports and project updates against targets. Coordinate and update volunteer sites i.e. www.do-it.org Recruit, induct and train new county team members. Coordinate and facilitate the delivery of the national Schoolreaders County team. meetings biannually along with termly county zoom meetings. Identify relevant local media and liaise with the communications manager re placing articles as directed. Follow the operations systems and procedures. Support the operations team during peak times. Any other operational duties as requested by the Schoolreaders team Essential skills: • Excellent oral and written communication skills • Confident presenting to a variety of audiences • Friendly and professional telephone manner • Strong administrative skills • Excellent knowledge of MS Office Suite, in particular Excel and reporting • Initiative and the ability to be tenacious when required • Reliable and able to work on your own initiative • Strong research and analytical skills • Good time management and ability to prioritise tasks • Understanding of the important role of volunteers • Willing to undertake a full DBS check Desirable skills: • Experience of co-ordinating volunteers previously • CRM Experience, i.e. Salesforce • Previous experience working in an educational environment • Social media experience What we offer: Generous holiday allowance. Enhanced sick pay. Employee assistance programme. Training and development opportunities. Changing children’s life chances through your work. Applications will be reviewed, and interviews offered, on an ongoing basis. We reserve the right to close the role prior to the closing date should a suitable applicant be found, so please submit your application as soon as possible. Further details including the job description and an application form can be found on our website. Schoolreaders is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and requires staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to a range of vetting checks including a basic disclosure check of unspent criminal convictions. Diversity monitoring form Job application form Job Description Job application data processing form Thank you for your interest in Schoolreaders To apply for any of the above positions, please download the job application form using the links above, and email it along with a copy of your c.v, covering letter, and any supporting documents to apply@schoolreaders.org

Hompage banner BG (5) As Featured on BBC Breakfast Hompage banner BG (5) 1/5 Our vision is that every child should learn to read well. There has never been a more important time for our work. What we do Become a Partner School Volunteer Donate 1 in 4 primary school children in England fail to reach the expected standard of reading by the age of 11. This leaves them unable to access their secondary education fully, which will have life long consequences. Schoolreaders recruits, places and supports volunteers to go to local primary schools and provide free, weekly, one-to-one reading support for children, prioritising those most disadvantaged. Update for volunteers and schools VOLUNTEERS: We are looking for individuals keen to volunteer with us to start as soon as possible. Do apply here and make a difference to a child's life story. SCHOOLS: We welcome new partner schools to join our FREE scheme especially if you have many pupils who require extra reading support. Sign up today ! Volunteers Needed! Become a Schoolreader in 2024 "It makes me feel proud" Hear first-hand from one of the children who has benefitted from reading time with a Schoolreaders Volunteer. "I wanted to volunteer in a primary school where the children aren’t reading well or don’t have stories read to them when they go home at night." Alison, volunteer, Birmingham If you'd like to join us as a volunteer, please click here .

FAQs How do I register? You can sign up for the quiz by clicking here . Once you’ve filled in a few details, we’ll email you a link to the quiz questions and information on how to send us your answers. When does the quiz run? The quiz runs between April 2021 and 31st August 2021. Registrations close on Thursday 26th August, with the quiz itself ending at midnight on Tuesday 31st August. Can I enter as an individual? Yes, the quiz is open to individuals and to groups such as Book Clubs, work colleagues, or families and friends wishing to enter as a team. ​ How do I send in my answers? Please click here to send us your answers. Answers must be submitted by midnight on 31st August 2021 if you would like to be eligible for a prize. What are the prizes? First prize will be a case of Prosecco (to be shared if you have entered as a team), as well as signed books. Everyone submitting an entry, regardless of their score, will be entered into a draw for further prizes and our wonderful reading volunteers will be entered into a prize draw of their own. Do I have to send in my answers? No, you can just do the quiz for your own entertainment, but if you’d like the chance to win a prize you do need to submit your answers. ​ How do I see the correct quiz answers? Correct quiz answers will be posted on our website in early September, with winners being notified shortly afterwards. How can I donate? Please click here to donate. If you are participating as a team and think others might like to donate, please help them find our website - www.schoolreaders.org - or ask them to visit Virgin Money Giving and search for Schoolreaders Book Club Quiz. Thank you for supporting us. ​ Terms and Conditions Please click here to see the quiz Terms & Conditions. Any further questions or comments? Please contact us on 01234 924 333 or email us on quiz@schoolreaders.org . We’d love to hear from you.