'I love it!' Pupils hail new book scheme as figures show 1 in 4 leave primary school unable to read well

EFF data shows that only 10 per cent of these children go on to pass their English and maths GCSEs.

But Bookmark Reading Charity's vision is to ensure every child can read - and in Hull, the charity is investing £46,000 across 23 schools.

GB News visited Oldfleet Primary School in the city, which has benefitted from a large donation of books.

Martin Cross is the School Business Development Officer for Bookmark Reading Charity. He told GB News: "We donate books to schools worth around about £2,000.

"They receive 200 books accompanying resources and support from bookmark over 12 months. The aim is to give children the books in school to find that love of reading and engage with reading and develop that confidence to read for pleasure.

"Nationally, 1 in 4 leave primary school unable to read well and what we find is the knock on effect of that will then be that of those children.

"Potentially only 10 per cent of them will pass things like GCSE maths and English, and it affects their whole life chances."

The areas in Bookmark Reading Charity's focus are determined by higher than national average child deprivation statistics and lower Key Stage 2 reading results.

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In Hull, a third of children live in relative poverty, compared to a national average of 20 per cent, according to the Hull Poverty Truth Commission.

Key Stage 2 pupils in the area are also more likely to struggle with reading than the national average according to the Educational Policy Institute.

Kerry Garner is the Assistant Headteacher at Oldfleet Primary School in Hull.

She said: "I mean, this [scheme] can only help, as the more books that the children have the opportunity to read, the more that they're going to be able to come along to the library and borrow different books.

"For many of our children, there isn't a huge amount of disposable income at home. So books are not always a priority in the home.

"As a school, we know that, and we try to put reading at the heart of everything that we do - it's such an essential skill."

Pupils at Oldfleet Primary School were excited to start reading their new library books.

Dennis, 10, said: "I feel special. I feel getting the chance to look at all these new books. I love that."

Zofia, 11, said that through reading, "I love that I don't have to be in this reality. I can be on a completely different island that's not even in the world."

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Delilah, 10, said: "I love the story it tells - there's always something new in every book," while Jude, 11, added: "I make my own books at home and I do really love reading."

Mya, just 7, said: "It helps you to learn stuff. You can learn loads of things."

Author Steve Webb visited Oldfleet Primary to read his work to students and inspire the next generation of writers.

"I think it does actually make a difference if authors pop in," he said. "It makes it, somehow, a bit more real that these books come from somewhere, when the authors and illustrators pop in and talk about their own work."

The impact of Bookmark's "Your Story Corner" programme in other areas like Birmingham, Rochdale, Sheffield and Plymouth has been significant, with 69 per cent seeing a positive contribution to their school-wide reading culture.

The charity's ambition is to reach half a million children across 1,000 schools over the next two years.

You can find out more here.