About the project
Between 2003 and 2010, Premier League Reading Stars worked with families in a small number of public libraries. Now, thanks to funding from the Premier League and Arts Council England, we are expanding the project to work with hundreds of schools and libraries during 2012.
Target audience
Premier League Reading Stars targets primary school pupils from Years 5 and 6 who are not reaching the expected levels in literacy for their age. It can also be used to support secondary school pupils with low attainment who are motivated by football but not by literacy. Our toolkit for teachers has been written to support the national curriculum at primary and secondary level.
The project also provides an opportunity to engage with, and bring benefits to, parents. Their involvement can help in terms of raising their own confidence (40% of parents feel more confident speaking in front of other people after taking part in Premier League Reading Stars), as well as inspiring them to improve their own skills and take more interest in their children’s reading habits (84% of parents read more with their child after taking part in PLRS).
Project delivery
Premier League Reading Stars is, of course, a game of two halves.
1. The Premier League Reading Stars Online Challenge
The Premier League Reading Stars Online Challenge is available to everyone free of charge. Any child with internet access, anywhere in the world, can watch our unique films in which 20 high-profile Premier League players set 100 literacy challenges, and win online rewards by successfully completing the challenges. Schools may also use the online challenges with pupils but please note that they will not have a unique school number that will allow pupils to be entered into our prize draw.
2. The Premier League Reading Stars Resource Pack 
The Premier League Reading Stars Resource Pack enables teachers and librarians to deliver the project with a targeted group of children. It contains Premier League branded incentives for pupils, including colourful reading journals, badges and certificates. A toolkit, known as The Tactics Book, provides 10 curriculum-supporting sessions, written by literacy experts (including a high-profile football author). Each pack provides enough resources for 32 pupils, and content for 10 sessions. We anticipate that the project will typically serve one class over one term.
As we are near the end of the football season, the resource pack is available at the reduced price of £100 including p&p. This works out at a highly cost-effective £3.13 per pupil. When you purchase the pack, you will be issued with a unique school number that will entitle your pupils to entry in our draw to win additional prizes.
You can pre-order the pack using our resources order form.
We have funding to work with 1,000 schools, libraries and football clubs that meet our criteria. These have now been identified and the deadline for applying to take part free of charge has now passed.
Settings taking part free of charge have been supplied with enough materials for one class. To run the project for more than one term, or to avoid inter-class jealousy and allow a whole year group to take part, you can buy additional packs, while stocks last.
“Without it I honestly believe that we would have continually struggled to engage the children in reading, and certainly wouldn’t have made it as fun… it really has made a massive difference in the way that the boys view reading now.”
Subject Leader of English
“We loved the enthusiasm that the project created amongst the children – it really gave them a spark. The emphasis on the reading was strong throughout so the children could make the link between football and reading. Some of our children just had no interest in reading at all. You could give them a book but you couldn’t actually make them read. The influence of a footballer telling the children to read more is far, far better than four teachers telling them the same.”
Teacher
