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  • Terms and conditions website usage | Schoolreaders

    Terms and Conditions of Website Usage Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Schoolreaders' relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website. The term “Schoolreaders” or “us” or “we” refers to the owner of the website. The term “you” refers to the user or viewer of our website. The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use: • The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. • Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law. • Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements. • This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited without Schoolreaders' prior written consent. • Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence. • From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s). • You may not create a link to this website from another website or document without Schoolreaders' prior written consent. • Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England and Wales. 25/5/2018

  • State of Primary School Reading Survey 2021

    Schoolreaders Primary School Impact Research 2022 Annual research in partnership with The Institute of Research in Education The need for and impact of Schoolreaders volunteers in Primary Schools. Impact of Schoolreaders volunteers on Primary School children. Survey compiled from results from over 170 primary schools.

  • Free reading volunteers in primary schools from Schoolreaders

    What do we do? Schoolreaders goal is for all children, regardless of background, to leave primary school being able to read well so they can go on to access their secondary education fully and maximise their future life chances. Established in 2013, Schoolreaders matches volunteers to local primary schools - focusing on schools with the greatest need - where they give one-to-one reading sessions. ​ Just ten minutes a week with one of our volunteers has been shown to improve children’s reading fluency, comprehension and enjoyment. It also gives them valuable time with an adult who is not a teacher or parent which aids their social skills. The Fair Education Alliance reinforces this need saying children need to ‘engage with a wide range of adults including volunteers and businesses to support their literacy.’ Currently, our volunteers support 16,500 children every week. With some children affected by the pandemic and others coping with Special Needs or language development difficulties, there is no one size fits all for children. Under 11s develop their reading skills at different speeds and tailored one-to-one support is ideal for developing their reading experience in their formative years. ​ Click here to view our most recent Accounts and here to see our latest Impact Report. Why are we needed? Where do we work? Who are we? Discover some of the facts behind the UK's literacy problem, and see why our service is so urgently needed. Recognition of the Schoolreaders scheme: "Evidence is clear that where school reading volunteers are involved in a structured programme and given appropriate training and support, for instance by charities such as …. Schoolreaders, the results can be highly effective." Lord Nash, Conservative Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools (2013-2017) ​ "We are delighted with the success of the Schoolreaders project and believe it will play an important contribution helping children learn to read and in them becoming established independent readers. This project has our full support and we are extremely grateful to the volunteers who give up their time so generously." Councillor Henry Vann, Portfolio Holder for Education, Bedford Borough Council "Having been an English teacher at an inner-city comprehensive, I know how difficult it is when children arrive at senior school being unable to read properly. It puts them at such a disadvantage. Schoolreaders is a brilliant idea, not just for an individual child, but for society as a whole." Allison Pearson, Chief Interviewer on the Daily Telegraph, and author of international bestseller, 'I Don't Know How She Does It'. ​ The Worshipful Company of Grocers ‘We are delighted to be funding you. The Committee thought your operating model was brilliant!’ Our network has spread rapidly since we were founded in 2013. View our map to see where we operate. Schoolreaders is run by a small team of full-time staff with the help of lots of volunteers. Find out who we are.

  • Help us fund reading volunteers by giving 'In memory'

    Giving 'In memory' There is no better way of celebrating the life of a loved one than by making a donation to Schoolreaders. A tribute made for a family member or friend can ensure that their memory lives on in brighter futures for children. As many as half a million families each year in the UK suffer a bereavement. Many families feel that the passing of a loved one is best marked by a donation to charity rather than the giving of floral tributes. This being the case, the Schoolreaders scheme, which embodies optimism about the future and works so hard to improve the chances of the next generation, is the perfect charity choice. ​ ​ If you would like to make a donation to Schoolreaders in memory of a loved one, please click here to find our donation form. If you would like us to, we can include your donation in the Schoolreaders' 'In Memory' Album.

  • Race for Reading campaign

    1. What is Race for Reading? Together we are aiming to cover the circumference of the world in 80 days, raising crucial funds for Schoolreaders so we can provide one-to-one reading support sessions for thousands of primary school children across the country. You can walk, run, cycle, swim or even hop to complete your miles over the course of 80 days. Simply decide if you want to take part alone or as part of a team, set your own mileage goal and decide how you want to complete your challenge. All miles completed will go towards our 25,000 mile goal. 2. When is Race for Reading? The race will launch on March 31st and run until June 19th 2021. 3. Where is Race for Reading? There is no specific location for the race. You can cover your miles anywhere - in your local park or at home running up the stairs! The choice is yours… 4. Is there a registration fee? No. There is no registration fee but every individual who raises a minimum of £15 will receive a medal after the close of the Challenge. Every £150 raised will provide weekly reading support for 10 children for a whole year. 5. How do I sign up? Click here to pre-register for the event or click on the button at the bottom of this page. When entries open on around 21st March, we'll email you a reminder to register and a link to the Race for Reading site. Once you've fully registered you'll be able to create your individual fundraising page. You'll be able to take on the race with friends, colleagues or family. You can set your mileage and fundraising goal and then you simply share your page with people who may sponsor you. You'll find full instructions on the Race for Reading site when it goes live on around 21st March. 6. How long do I have to complete my challenge? The challenge launches on March 31st 2021, and you have 80 days to complete your challenge with the last day being June 19th 2021. Depending on your chosen target, you may well complete your challenge sooner. You may sign up after March 31st but you will have less than 80 days to complete your challenge. 7. When do I need to register by? Full registration opens on around 21st March and you will be able to register by visiting www.raceforreading.org . Until then, you may pre-register by clicking here or by using the button at the bottom of this page, but please note that completing the pre-registration process does not mean that you are fully registered for the challenge. If you pre-register, we will send you a reminder to complete the full registration process when entries open. We recommend that you complete full registration by the challenge launch date of March 31st 2021, but you are welcome to register after this date - you will just have less time to complete your challenge. 8. Is there a minimum fundraising target? We are asking everyone to raise a minimum of £15. On completion of the challenge, we will send you a 2021 Race for Reading medal. Individuals raising £100 or more will receive a 2021 Race for Reading sports t-shirt. Individuals raising £1,000 or more will receive a 2021 Race for Reading gold medal on completion of the challenge. Remember… every £450 raised will help an entire class of children for a whole year! 9. Is there a minimum number of miles I have to reach? No, but our goal is to achieve 25,000 miles around the globe so we are asking everyone to help by covering as many miles as possible over the 80 days. 10. How do people sponsor me? All donations can be made through the Just Giving fundraising page that you will set up as part of the official registration process, and all funds raised will go directly to Schoolreaders. Full instructions will be found on the Race for Reading site once it is launched on 19th March. If you have raised any of your donations outside the JustGiving site, that’s fine. Please send them to us by cheque or bank transfer. You can click here to download a copy of our donation form (go to 'Paying in Funds Raised' at the bottom of the page). Please note all cheques must be made payable to Schoolreaders. We request that all funds raised are paid to Schoolreaders within 8 weeks of the challenge end date. ​ 11. Who are Schoolreaders? Schoolreaders was founded in 2013 to improve childhood literacy throughout the UK. As of March 2020 we had over 1,200 volunteers who were providing weekly one-to-one reading support sessions to over 12,000 primary school children across the country. Prior to Covid-19 1 in 4 children left primary school unable to read well, and with schools being shut for the majority of the past year the situation has become even worse, particularly for the most disadvantaged children who have fallen even further behind. Our aim is to increase these children’s life chances by offering a vital service, free of charge to schools. To find out more please visit www.schoolreaders.org 12. What about Covid restrictions? When taking part you will be expected to adhere to any Government restrictions. Fuller details can be found in the challenge Terms and Conditions, which are available here . ​ 13. How do I get in touch with Schoolreaders about Race for Reading? If you still have a question please email info@raceforreading.org or call us on 01234 924 333. ​ ​ Sign Up Today Thank you for your interest in Schoolreaders' Race for Reading. Every mile you cover will help improve a child's chances in life! If you have any questions please contact us via info@raceforreading.org or telephone us on 01234 924333 ​ Please click here ​ to read event Terms & Conditions

  • Race for Reading campaign

    31st March to 19th June '21 We're asking you to step up for children's literacy! Could you run, walk, cycle or even hop to help give children a brighter future? Join our Race for Reading and you'll be helping children catch up on literacy skills lost during lockdown. Whether you're taking part as an individual or as one of a team, your efforts will help us achieve our goal of circling the globe in 80 days. You'll be making a world of difference to children's literacy and to their life chances! Sign up for our challenge, get active and change children's lives Take part If you can't take part but you'd like to support our work, please click here: Donate If you have any questions please contact us via info@raceforreading.org or telephone us on 01234 924333 ​ Please click here ​ to read event Terms & Conditions ​ ​ With thanks to our sponsor:

  • prior-event

    31st March to 19th June '21 We're asking you to step up for children's literacy! Could you run, walk, cycle or even hop to help give children a brighter future? Join our Race for Reading and you'll be helping children catch up on literacy skills lost during lockdown. Whether you're taking part as an individual or as one of a team, your efforts will help us achieve our goal of circling the globe in 80 days. You'll be making a world of difference to children's literacy and to their life chances! Sign up for our challenge, get active and change children's lives Pre-register Donate FAQs If you have any questions please contact us via info@raceforreading.org or telephone us on 01234 924333. ​ Please click here to read event Terms & Conditions ​ ​ With thanks to our sponsor:

  • Thanks to Schoolreaders' funders and supporters

    Thank you to those who make our work possible Our Corporate Supporters include: TRITAX BIG BOX Since 2019, Schoolreaders has partnered with Tritax Big Box REIT Plc, specialist investors in large logistics warehouse assets throughout the UK. Tritax Big Box was Schoolreaders’ first corporate partner and renewed its partnership in 2023 to support children in regions where their assets are based. Petrina Austin, Head of Asset Management at Tritax Big Box, comments: “Children who enter secondary school as confident readers are empowered to thrive. Conversely, poor literacy can have lifelong – even cross-generational – consequences. We’re delighted to support Schoolreaders, and its network of inspirational volunteers, in enhancing young people’s lives and academic prospects – bringing long-term benefits to communities across the UK.” TIMES TABLES ROCK STARS Our partnership with Times Tables Rock Stars started when they became the main sponsor for our 2019 'Be a Superstar for Schoolreaders’ campaign. TTRS, which offers award-winning programmes for times tables practice across several different platforms, have now generously pledged to continue their support this year. Nicola Reddy of TTRS says 'Whilst we are very passionate about maths, we also believe in the power of being literate and the joy of reading. Literacy is the foundation for all disciplines. Without the ability to read, write and think, other subject areas, such as maths, become a bigger challenge for students'. KINDRED Kindred delivers expert cleaning services primarily for the education sector. Formed in 1988, the company has a wealth of experience in running specialist cleaning contracts across the UK and now employs over 1,950 cleaners in schools nationwide. Corporate Social Responsibility is at the heart of Kindred’s business and the team is committed to supporting charities which make an active difference in communities across the country. We are delighted to have been one of Kindred’s charity partners since early 2022. FIRED EARTH For 40 years Fired Earth has been sourcing stand out products from around the world, and the company is now synonymous with beautiful wall and floor tiles, paint, and bathroom furniture. With showrooms across the UK, the company is passionate about supporting charities which help the communities near to its stores. The Fired Earth team was inspired by Schoolreaders’ mission to raise literacy levels amongst primary school children local to its business sites. We are delighted to be Fired Earth’s charity partner . THE WOB FOUNDATION The Wob Foundation was created in 2022 and provides support to charitable initiatives working to improve literacy. Schoolreaders is delighted to be the first charity partner supported by the Foundation and our partnership will enable many more primary school children to receive weekly one-to-one reading support sessions. Wob is a leading global seller of used books online to millions of customers; directly, through third party platforms and wholesale partners. The business is a pioneer in the re-use and recycling of unwanted books making a real contribution to the circular economy, and its many charitable activities are also positively impacting literacy levels around the world. Wob was founded on the ethos to do good, help charities, and benefit the environment, their latest Impact Report highlights how the organisation works to stay true to these values and make a positive impact on the world. MOONLIGHT PUBLISHING Moonlight Publishing is a family-run company specialising in non-fiction children’s books, illustrated by remarkable artists, which nurture children’s curiosity about the world around them. Moonlight has generously donated a large volume of their First Discovery and Encyclopedia series to Schoolreaders to share with its partner schools. DONATIONS IN KIND Many businesses have been generous enough to support us by donating goods or services and we are very grateful to them for this help. Woburn Abbey Waitrose and Partners Luton Executive Golf Society Tesco Bags of Help Champneys Health Spa John Lewis & Partners

  • We have a network of free reading support volunteers

    Where do we work? As each volunteer joins the Schoolreaders scheme they are either placed with an existing partner school, or new schools are approached to find the best fit. 1 in 7 primary schools in England have become Schoolreaders partner schools, with more schools joining us every week.

  • Schoolreaders volunteer resources

    Volunteer resources Help and guidance on how to support children's reading will, in the first instance, come from your school. If, however, you would like more information on phonics, how to support children in different age groups, the best ways to work with struggling readers, plus fun ideas for literacy games, have a look below. Oxford Owl is an award-winning website from Oxford University Press, created to support children’s learning both at home and at school. Click here to visit the Oxford Owl website where you will find thousands of free resources, including storytelling tips, games, and downloadable information sheets. Schoolreaders' guidance notes for volunteers working with children in Key Stage 1 Attached are guidance notes which will give you some ideas for ways to support Key Stage 1 children as they read with you. There are some practical tips on how to set up your session, and then some questions that may provide good ways to get the child to explore and analyse the text. As ever, school staff should be on hand to help you with more guidance should you need it. Schoolreaders' guidance notes for volunteers working with children in Key Stage 2 Children in Key Stage 2 should be developing as excited and involved readers. In our guidance notes you will find lots of questions which will help you probe a child's understanding of their text, and which should help them on to deeper comprehension of the other books they read. As ever, school staff should be on hand to help you with more guidance should you need it.

  • Schoolreaders Book Club Quiz answer form

    Book Club Quiz 2021 - answer form Fill in the form below and submit it to us by midnight on Tuesday 31st August 2021 for a chance to win our amazing prizes - GOOD LUCK! ​ Answers will be posted on this website in early September, and winners will be announced shortly afterwards. Return to quiz home page

  • How to Apply Page | Schoolreaders

    Current job opportunities at Schoolreaders Click here to find out how to apply for jobs listed on this page Marketing & Communications Manager Closing time and date: 23:59, Wednesday 30th November 2022 Hours of work: Salary: Reporting to: Location: ​ Minimum 30 hours per week or full time £30,000-£35,000 FTE Head of Fundraising Flexible – partly home-based by arrangement, and Bedford Office. (Hybrid) Role Description:​ We are looking for an experienced, creative and highly motivated Marketing and Communications Manager to join our small, dynamic Schoolreaders team and help build our profile, reputation and fundraising through multi-media marketing and PR campaigns. 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. ​ Key Responsibilities: Helping develop and implement the marketing and communications strategy to build name awareness and to maximise reach of the Schoolreaders service Taking responsibility for all marketing and PR activities within the charity Developing and delivering marketing and communications campaigns across the entire spectrum of communications disciplines including media and public relations, advertising, marketing, digital and social media and production of some materials Increasing the charity’s profile across appropriate media (national, regional, social, print and broadcast) including regional volunteer recruitment Contributing to senior management team meetings when invited Main Duties: Develop key messages, lead on creating consistent language across all media Build better awareness of the charity within the communities it serves, utilising free or low-cost digital tools, such as Google AdWords and both paid and organic social media Maintain the Schoolreaders website and social media channels Analyse data from Google Analytics and social media insights to develop a donor profile, which can help to inform the charity’s marketing and communications strategy Further develop the charity’s brand identity and act as ‘brand guardian’ for internal and external communications Copywriting for printed material, including but not limited to, bi-annual newsletter, impact report, posters, flyers, bookmarks etc Develop and maintain a regular email marketing calendar and introduce innovative methods to build the database of subscribers Manage design agency relationship and oversee briefing and delivery ensuring it’s on time and within budget Manage the marketing and communications budget Identify, write and disseminate newsworthy stories and press releases for Schoolreaders Take responsibility for Schoolreaders’ press office, dealing with press enquiries and developing media relationships Create and maintain volunteer and school case studies for use in PR and marketing Manage crisis situation communications including strategy, holding statements, Q&As Identify issues that could potentially damage the organisation’s reputation and work as part of the senior management team to recommend actions to mitigate this risk Carry out any other duties which are relevant and appropriate to the job ​ Person Specification: Benefits As part of our commitment to making Schoolreaders a great place to work, we offer access to the following employee benefits: 25 days annual leave (3 of which must be taken over Christmas) plus an additional paid day off on your birthday and public/bank holidays (pro-rated for part time staff). Contributory pension Access to a free 24/7 support service providing legal, financial, emotional and medical advice Free parking Access to a variety of onsite services, including a gym, a canteen and pop-up events To apply for this role, please email your CV and cover letter to Alexandra Spurgeon, Head of Fundraising: a.spurgeon@schoolreaders.org how to apply How to apply Please email your application form, diversity monitoring form and job application data processing consent form to apply@schoolreaders.org Schoolreaders is committed to Equal Opportunities in employment and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. It is important to us that we have a diverse workforce therefore we request that you complete the diversity monitoring form. You do not have to complete the whole form. This form is kept entirely separate from the recruitment process. Application form Diversity monitoring form Job application data processing form 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. For the purposes of recruitment, we will store your data for up to 30 days before destroying it unless we invite you to interview. If you are appointed to a role within Schoolreaders you will be subject to the organisation's Code of Conduct, a copy of which you can find by clicking here . ​ Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, either at application or interview please contact us via apply@schoolreaders.org ​ Thank you for your interest in Schoolreaders

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