Every secondary school in England is set to benefit from £5 million boost for books, the Chancellor is expected to announce at the Budget this week.
All secondaries will be given around £1,400 to refresh their libraries – ensuring every child, whatever their background or wherever they live, has access to a wide-range of books. The funding comes at a crucial moment, with a sharp decline in young people reading for pleasure - the number of 8- to 18-year-olds who say they enjoy reading in their spare time has fallen by a third since 2019.
The plans build on the government’s National Year of Reading 2026, which will unite parents, schools and communities to get young people off their phones and start reading – a habit that’s proven to strengthen writing skills, boost confidence and even improve earning potential. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Access to reading is vital for young people’s education, it boosts confidence, opportunities, and opens up the world beyond the phone screen.
“That’s why I fully support the Sunday Times’ Get Britain Reading campaign, which is helping everyone re-discover the joy of reading, and giving every young person the chance to discover the power of a good book – just as I did growing up.”
This government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and has already made landmark gains to improve reading in schools. This includes new training for secondaries to ensure no child leaves without the necessary reading skills; a £1million fund for the most deprived schools to access the right reading programmes for disadvantaged students; and £10million through the Dormant Assets scheme to guarantee libraries for every primary school by the end of this Parliament, improving access for a generation.
In addition, as part of the new curriculum, the government is also set to publish a new oracy framework and introduce reading tests in Year 8, supporting more young people to become confident and effective speakers.
This is central to the government’s mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping every child to achieve and thrive at school, and succeed in life.
Jonathan Douglas, National Literacy Trust CEO said: “The National Literacy Trust welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement of investment in secondary school libraries.
“Alongside the ongoing commitment to fund a library in every primary school, in line with our Libraries for Primaries campaign, this is a positive step towards ensuring every child has the opportunity to discover a love of reading. Our research shows that reading enjoyment amongst 11-16 year olds has fallen by around 40% since 2019, highlighting the urgent need for support for teenagers.
“Well-resourced libraries spark curiosity, build confidence, and nurture lifelong reading habits. Investment in both primary and secondary schools can transform outcomes and boost life chances, particularly in communities facing literacy challenges.
We look forward to working with schools, local partners and policymakers - as part of the National Year of Reading next year and beyond - to help this funding have the greatest possible impact. Together, we can ensure that every child, wherever they live, has the tools they need to thrive and can benefit from the life-changing power of reading.”