School libraries transformed with new funding from Arts Council England 

Fifty new primary schools—25 in Bradford and 25 in County Durham—have received a transformative book donation as part of the 2024/25 cohort of World of Stories. The Arts Council England has supported this as part of a second round of funding.

What is World of Stories?

The programme is a joint initiative from Penguin and the National Literacy Trust. It aims to reinvigorate school libraries and promote reading for pleasure in communities where literacy challenges are most acute. 

All participating schools receive books from 29 publisher partners, including Puffin, Hachette, HarperCollins, Pan Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. Each school has received 500 titles carefully selected to reflect diverse voices, classic literature, and contemporary stories. As well as this, participating teachers receive specialist training on embedding reading for pleasure. They also receive a package of furniture to furnish their library spaces.  

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “Puffin has been inspiring and shaping children’s reading for 85 years and we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure every child has access to stories that ignite their passion for reading. The World of Stories programme has proven to be a truly transformative initiative for schools in some of the most underserved communities, and, with reading for pleasure shown to be in decline, we are committed to reaching even more children in the years to come. 

“We are thrilled that our titles continue to form a key part of the book donation to schools, providing children with access to a wide variety of books that spark their imaginations, to help build tomorrow’s generation of readers.”   

The impact on schools

Hayley Dickinson, teacher at All Saints Church of English Primary School in Bradford, said: “The World of Stories programme has allowed our children to become aware of a range of different texts that they had not had access to previously. Since completing the programme, our children have gained confidence in identifying stories they enjoy and requesting authors or texts they want to see in our libraries.” 

To further enhance accessibility and engagement, the donation includes a Yoto audiobook player. As reading enjoying levels hit an all-time low, the National Literacy Trust has completed vital research. Studies show that listening to audiobooks and podcasts offers an opportunity to boost learning, wellbeing, and reading engagement.  

Libraries for Primaries campaign

The expansion of World of Stories aligns with National Literacy Trust and Penguin‘s Libraries for Primaries campaign. This nationwide initiative addresses the stark reality that 1 in 7 (14%) state primary schools lack a dedicated reading space. 

Libraries for Primaries has had a transformative impact on teachers and pupils alike:

• 100% of practitioners feel confident in promoting reading for pleasure through their school library.
• 97.6% of children say they enjoy visiting the library.

By the end of this academic year, Libraries for Primaries will have transformed a total of 1,500 primary school libraries. This means: 

• 628,000 books will have been distributed to primary schools  
• 3,000 teachers and support staff will have been trained in fostering reading for pleasure 
• Half a million children will have gained access to better reading opportunities

Jonathan Douglas CBE, CEO at The National Literacy Trust, added: “We know that reading for enjoyment levels are at an all-time low – just 1 in 3 children and young people say they enjoy reading, so we are delighted to be working with Puffin and Arts Council England, and bringing the World of Stories programme to 50 primary schools across Bradford and Durham this year. Through the Libraries for Primaries campaign, we will ensure that every primary school in the UK has a library, by 2028.” 

More information on Libraries for Primaries can be found here.