Reading Reboot FAQs

A reading programme funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Q: What is Reading Reboot?

Reading Reboot is a national reading programme funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust and delivered by the School Library Association (SLA). It creates librarian-run social book clubs in schools with existing but under-resourced libraries, focused on Year 8 pupils — the age at which reading for pleasure shows its steepest decline. The programme builds on a successful pilot delivered in 2024/25.

Q: Why Year 8 specifically?

Research consistently shows that engagement with reading for pleasure drops sharply around age 12–13. By targeting Year 8, the programme intervenes at the point of greatest need, before disengagement becomes entrenched.

Q: How long does the programme run?

Reading Reboot runs over one full academic year (2026–27), with book clubs delivered in ten-week blocks, two per term. Schools commit to two cohorts of pupils per term throughout the year. As part of a three year programme, schools in year one are offered the opportunity to sign up for three years and receive ongoing resources, support and online training with additional book stock (subject to funding).

Q: Is this programme part of a wider rollout?

Yes. The ambition is to expand Reading Reboot nationally, subject to funding. The 2026–27 cohort is part of a three-year phased rollout, growing from 30 schools in Year 1 to 100 schools by Year 3. Schools joining now are helping to shape and evidence the programme for future expansion.

ELIGIBILITY

Q: Which schools can apply?

The programme is open to secondary schools in the North East, West Midlands, and Inner London (the three regions in England with the highest rates of Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility) and has a school librarian to lead the programme in school. Participating schools should have over 20 per cent Free School Meals in the student body.

Q: Does my school need to have a school librarian already in post?

Yes. A dedicated school librarian is central to the programme model. They are the lead deliverer of the book clubs. Schools without a designated librarian are not eligible.

Q: Can independent or fee-paying schools apply?

No. This is an opportunity for state schools only.

Q: Can middle schools or all-through schools apply?

Yes. The school just needs to have pupils in Year 8.

WHAT SCHOOLS RECEIVE

Q: What does the school receive as part of the programme?

All participating schools receive the following at no cost:

A curated set of 200 books, half of which will be chosen with input from your pupils, for use in the book clubs
Practical support to develop a dedicated, welcoming space within the school library
Specialist in-person training for the school librarian at a local hub school (September/October 2026)
Online training sessions, a full resource toolkit and digital hub.
Author visits to inspire and engage participating pupils
Ongoing support throughout the year via SLA drop-in advice clinics, forums, and the SLA Branch network
Full SLA membership for the duration of the programme

Q: How many books will the school receive?

200, in two deliveries: one in Autumn of 100 books curated by the SLA; a second batch of another 100 books which you have chosen working with the book group pupils in your school arriving in spring.

Q: Who chooses the books?

In the first instance, the SLA expert librarian team working with publishers. For the second batch, the SLA and publishers will support the creation of an extensive longlist, but schools can request “off menu” if they like, which will help pupils in their selections for this delivery working with the school librarian.

Q: What does 'library space transformation' involve in practice?

Schools receive a £150 transformation budget, and we encourage senior leaders to match this, giving the librarian a total of £300 to spend. We have also started discussions with suppliers to create discounted Reading Reboot bundles for schools.

Q: Will schools keep the books after the programme ends?

Yes. Once the programme is complete, the books can join the standard school library collection.

SCHOOL COMMITMENT & LOGISTICS

Q: What is the time commitment for the school librarian?

The school librarian is the central programme deliverer. Their expected commitment includes:

Attending in-person training at a regional hub school (full day professional development, late September or early October 2026)
Completing online training modules during the year
Running two book club cohorts per term, each lasting ten weeks with approximately six to eight Year 8 pupils
Participating in online drop-in clinics and peer forums
Completing short evaluation surveys at key points with the possibility of contributing to focus groups

Q: How much time will book club sessions take each week?

They should equate to the length of a lesson in your school. We envisage 40 minutes to an hour.

Q: What is the role of senior leaders?

Senior leaders are asked to support the programme by protecting timetabled time for book club sessions within the school day. Their support is essential: the programme cannot succeed if reading time is repeatedly displaced by other school activities.

Q: Do class teachers need to be involved?

This is a programme led by librarians, however we encourage all participants to share learnings from the programme with colleagues across school and not just those in English.

Q: How are the Year 8 pupils selected?

Reading Reboot is designed to engage reluctant readers (those who can but don’t or won’t) rather than those who cannot or struggle to read. Each term, six to eight pupils should be selected for each book group, totaling 12-16 pupils a term. At the end of the academic year a total of 36-48 pupils will have participated from each school.

Pupils need a minimum standard of reading ability, noting this is not a reading intervention to teach the mechanics of reading. We also ask that pupils are not already involved in other interventions or similar programmes. A mix of abilities works well, with stronger readers acting as a peer guide for their fellow group members. The programme team will provide guidance on selection criteria, but the school retains the final decision.

TRAINING & SUPPORT

Q: Where will the in-person training take place?

Training will be delivered at designated hub schools within each of the three programme regions (North East, West Midlands, and Inner London). Specific venues will be confirmed once schools have been selected.

Q: Will travel costs to the training day be covered?

Funding does not include travel reimbursement. We hope to recruit schools who are in geographic clusters to alleviate travel burden. We also ask that senior leadership teams recognise the value of this training for the librarian as part of their continued professional development and therefore allocate budget accordingly.

Q: What does the online training involve?

Online training will build on the in-person day and be responsive to the needs and asks of the librarian participants to support their leading of the book clubs. A core part of this will be guidance from the SLA team including the Reading Reboot Project Manager, the School Library Lead, and sector experts as appropriate.

Q: What ongoing support is available during the year?

Throughout the programme year, the School Library Association provides:

Online drop-in advice clinics for librarians to ask questions and share challenges
Peer forums to connect with other participating schools
A dedicated resource toolkit and programme materials
Access to the SLA Branch network for local peer support
A dedicated project manager at the SLA to provide direct support and resolve any issues

EVALUATION & REPORTING

Q: What evaluation is involved?

An independent academic evaluation team will work with the programme throughout. Schools will be asked to:

Complete a short pre-programme survey before each group of students’ book clubs begin
Complete a post-programme survey at the end of their block of book clubs
Complete a delayed survey some months after their block of book clubs have ended
Have a group of students not taking part in the programme complete the surveys to create a control group
Contribute to tracking of reading age and wellbeing outcomes for participating pupils, where possible

Q: How long do the surveys take to complete?

We are using a standard test which some schools may be familiar with and should take no longer than 20 minutes for a student to complete.

Q: Will individual school data be published?

Data will be used to inform evaluation research reports and contribute insight to the shaping of the programme for national rollout. Schools will be given access to data for their pupils at the end of each academic year.

APPLYING TO THE PROGRAMME

Q: How do we apply?

Applications are open now. Schools that have registered an expression of interest will be sent a link to the full application form.

Q: What is the deadline for applications?

9am, Monday 22nd June.

Q: How many schools will be selected?

In the first year of the full programme, 30 schools will be selected across the three regions.

Q: When will schools be notified of their place?

Schools will be notified of their place in late June or early July 2026, ahead of the start of the autumn term.

Q: What happens if we are not selected this year?

You will automatically be added to the list for recontacting ahead of Year 2, providing you meet application criteria.

FURTHER QUESTIONS

If your question isn't answered here, please get in touch.