Success stories

What have we achieved so far?

Since our foundation in 1993, literacy levels have increased by 24%, with 80% of 11-year-olds reaching the stage expected for their age group in 2009, compared with only 56% in 1995. Yet, as demands on literacy skills are rapidly increasing, there is still much to do to reach those people who are in most need of literacy support.

• 13May2013
  Your Monster Read is a roaring success in Bradford school

  Marshfield Primary School in Bradford tell us in their own words how they ran the Your Monster Read competition in school, and why it worked.

• 07May2013
  Pupils make up to a year's progress in reading in 10 weeks

  Research into the effectiveness of our Premier League Reading Stars programme has found that it is having a dramatic impact on participating pupils.

• 21Mar2013
  Mia becomes the first reader in her family

  Mia's parents can't read or write. Her brothers left school with very poor literacy. But Mia has become the first reader in her family.

• 11Mar2013
  St. Martins CE Primary School: 'Ready to Rumble' with Writing

  A teacher from St. Martin's CE Primary, the competition-winning school, discusses their sucess with running the WWE Road to WrestleMania competition. The winning pupil also discusses his experience with the competition.

• 24Jan2013
  Not being able to read and write almost ruined my life

  Carl Foster struggled to learn to read and write and his poor literacy skills threatened to ruin his whole life. However, Carl eventually learnt to read and he established a successful career and wrote a self-help book about his experience.

• 14Nov2012
  4 out of 5 young people’s communication skills improved by National Literacy Trust

  Words for Work improves young people's communication skills for a third year running.

• 03Sep2012
  Our reading programme reaches thousands of children across the UK

  Our Young Readers Programme motivates children and their families to read for pleasure. Teachers and librarians running the programme this year have seen significant changes in the children taking part.

• 31Jul2012
  Reading Passport gets the stamp of approval from students

  This secondary school in a deprived area of Surrey are always looking for creative new ideas to promote reading and so decided to give the Big Diamond Jubilee Read a go. The competition was a great success, and Study Centre Manager Lucy Davis explains why

• 17Jul2012
  Big Diamond Jubilee Read makes a big impression on pupils at Newham Bridge Primary School

  Newham Bridge decided to get involved with the Big Diamond Jubilee Read in order to strengthen home-school relationships and to get their pupils to talk more about books and stories. They threw themselves into it, with fantastic results...

• 25May2012
  Football fan becomes a reading fan

  Sajid, aged 11, from Whitechapel has changed his mind about reading thanks to Premier League Reading Stars.