£5m for secondary school libraries announced in Budget
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced £5 million of new funding for state secondary schools to establish libraries.
It follows an earlier pledge of £10 million in funding to provide every primary school in England with a library by 2029.
One in seven primary schools in the UK do not have access to a library according to figures from the National Literacy Trust. That rises to one in four for disadvantaged areas, and almost half of schools in England without a library are located in the North
The investment follows the DfE announcement that 2026 will be The National Year of Reading - a campaign to address the steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults.
The National Year of Reading will position reading as a powerful contemporary activity and will aim to engage new audiences in reading and to change the national reading culture for good.
Latest News
27/11/2025 - 11:53
Ofqual has published revised statistics on access arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels, alongside new research into the role of time pressure in assessment.
26/11/2025 - 10:18
The Diets Toolkit recommends that governments introduce more plant-based options in schools, alongside hospitals and other public institutions,
25/11/2025 - 13:05
New data from The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) finds that around two-thirds of businesses believe a two-week block of work experience is too time-consuming and offers too little benefit.
25/11/2025 - 12:57
The Youth Sport Trust has launched its latest Class of 2035 Report, warning that unless urgent action is taken to increase physical activity among children, this generation will face poorer health and outcomes.
24/11/2025 - 09:40
The Education Committee has launched a new inquiry to understand how reading can be nurtured, and what its benefits are, amid a decline in the number of children reading for pleasure.
