LitUp project boosts reading for pleasure among Hastings children

Bloomsbury Publishing and the National Literacy Trust have published the findings of the first two years of LitUp, a project aimed at boosting reading frequency and enjoyment among primary school children in Hastings, where there is a high level of literacy need.

Launched in September 2022, LitUp has seen 1,482 children take part in an author visit and parent carer reading session across two years. Results show that reading frequency has increased, with over half (53.9%) of children going from "rarely picking up a book in their free time" to "reading at least once a week".

Bloomsbury’s children’s authors visited schools to interact with students, and the majority (79.1%) of children said the visits "made them want to read more".

The programme initially targeted pupils in years three and four, since they had been identified as the groups whose learning and development was most affected by the pandemic. In the second year, the programme followed the same cohort as they progressed into years four and five. LitUp has been extended for a third year focusing on the same children, who are now in years five and six.

Over 12,000 free books and resources have been donated, while the programme has also included 15 hours of teacher training and involvement from seven Bloomsbury authors, including visits from Katya Balen, Iszi Lawrence, Sheena Dempsey and Sam Sedgman.

Each author visit engaged over 800 pupils and new books were gifted to over 2,900 children each academic year.

"In light of our recent research findings, which show that children’s reading enjoyment across the country is at an all-time low, it makes it all the more important that we continue with this sort of initiative, which is clearly already making a difference to primary school children in Hastings," said Alice Birdwood, project manager at the National Literacy Trust.

Two-thirds (65%) of children who "lacked confidence" in their reading abilities before LitUp have now described themselves as "very good" or "good" readers, while all participating students also read a book they’d never read before. Meanwhile, 59% of parents said they are "more confident to support [their] child’s reading at home", and 68% said that their child now "engages in more conversations about reading at home" after the programme.

Ginni Arnold, head of corporate communications at Bloomsbury, added: “Bloomsbury has had a long-standing relationship with the National Literacy Trust for many years and we are delighted to have built on this strong basis with the LitUp programme. This true collaboration sees us working on the ground in Hastings and having a tangible impact on the children, families and teachers in the area—exemplified by the findings we are announcing today."

In collaboration with the University of Brighton Academies Trust, Bloomsbury and the National Literacy Trust designed a comprehensive programme for seven primary schools to develop pupils’ knowledge of authors and texts, and improve engagement from parents when it comes to reading with children.

Silverdale Primary Academy, St Leonards on Sea, has taken part in the programme from the start. “The LitUp project has been brilliant for Silverdale, where we have a real focus on encouraging our children to read for pleasure," said Nicki Duckett, teacher and reading lead at Silverdale. "This has then gone hand in hand with boosting our literacy levels. The author visits in particular were so exciting for our pupils. They provided our children with the opportunity to meet authors, which would not have been possible without the project. Thanks to the books being gifted to our children they have had the opportunity to read the author’s book after the visit."