Your Story Corner Programme: Leicester

Why are we there?

Bookmark targets areas with low literacy levels and higher levels of deprivation – we know these areas will benefit the most from our support. 

Leicester is ranked within the top 200 areas in the UK with the greatest literacy needs and a below average literacy attainment score of 70%. It’s also a social mobility cold spot, and has an IMD rank of 26^th most deprived local authority for income deprivation affecting children. Leicester West and Leicester South contain areas of the most deprived 5% of the population. 

What did we do?

Bookmark Reading Charity donated packs of 200 new, high-quality books suitable for four to nine-year-olds, an annual subscription to Bookmark’s The Story Corner Magazine, resources including posters, postcards and worksheets, access to other intervention apps as well as training and CPD for staff. All of these are designed to help schools fully embed a reading culture across the school and encourage reading for pleasure amongst their pupils. 

What was our impact?

The reading spaces in the area improved, offering more options and a wider variety of books.

There was a 16% increase in children saying they used the school reading space in the past week.

Thanks to support from Bookmark, 99% of teachers were motivated to improve their school’s reading activities, reading spaces, or the overall reading culture in their school.