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2025-08-31-accounts

Schoolreaders Annual Report and Accounts 2025

www.schoolreaders.org

Schoolreaders CIO, Registered charity in England and Wales, number 1159157

Contents

Contents
Reference and Administrative Information 3
Chair’s Report 4
Objectives and Activities 8
Why is Schoolreaders Unique? 10
2024/25
Achievement and Performance 11
Impact and Outcomes 14
Our Funders and Supporters 19
Our Theory of Change 21
2025/26 Plans 22
Fundraising Statement 24
Legal and Governance Information 25
Independent Auditors Report 29
Statement of Financial Activities 33
Balance Sheet 35
Statement of Cash Flows 36
Notes to the Accounts 37

I love reading with Mrs H because she always listens really carefully and makes me feel proud of my reading.” Schoolreaders Partner School Pupil, Staffordshire

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Reference and Administrative Information

Charity name: Schoolreaders

Registered Charity number: 1159157

Patrons: Kate Adie, Gyles Brandreth

Trustees: Jane Whitbread – Chair Lucinda Copeman – resigned 28/2/25 Nicholas Froy – reappointed 10/8/25 Alice Garnett – reappointed 8/10/24 Rory Landman – reappointed 12/2/24 Amrutha Shankara – appointed 20/1/26 Shannan Stevenson – Vice Chair – reappointed 17/10/24 Kirstin Whitehead – appointed 28/1/25

Registered Office:

Bedford Heights, Brickhill Drive, Bedford MK41 7PH

Auditors:

Mercer & Hole, The Pinnacle, 170 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 1BP

Bankers:

Barclays PLC, Level 27, 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ Barclays Investment Solutions Ltd, 1 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HP

Governing document:

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) - Foundation Registered 11 November 2014

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Report of the Trustees

Chair’s Report

2024/5 has been an important year for the charity. Once again, we significantly increased the number of children we provide with essential reading support, ending the year with more than 35,000 children per week receiving one-to-one reading sessions from one of our Schoolreaders volunteers. This represents an increase of 30% more children over the previous year. Our unique, scalable, and cost-effective model is highly sought after by primary schools. We now have a Schoolreaders volunteer in one in ten primary schools in England, and at least twice that number of schools are requesting a Schoolreaders volunteer. We are the leading in-school charity supporter of children’s literacy in primary schools.

A major factor in our growth has been the generous funding we received from The October Club in 2023/4.This lump sum of £650,000, to be spent across three years, has to date enabled Schoolreaders to expand into the north of England and reach a further 9,000 children needing extra reading support, demonstrating the direct impact of additional funding. (Please note this donation has visually skewed our accounts).

Why are Schoolreaders volunteers needed?

We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to learn to read well. Without this basic lifeskill an individual’s life chances are severely diminished. Reading is the cornerstone to learning, education and a life of opportunity. Doors are closed at an early age if a child does not learn to read well, and sadly this is the case for the one in four children who leave primary school not reading to the expected standard[1] .

Why is this such a large number? Many children do not receive help with reading at home. The reasons include: deprivation, illiterate parents/carers (one in six adults in England are functionally illiterate[2] ), English not being a first language or spoken in the home, or limited home resources. These children can fall significantly behind their peers and the gap is often too great to catch up in regular schooltime. The relatively simple intervention of an adult dedicating consistent regular time to supporting an individual child’s reading, in-school, for whatever length of time is required, is sufficient to turn this around.

A Schoolreaders volunteer plays a unique role in developing a child’s reading ability and, importantly, their love of reading. Our volunteers are not teachers or school staff and are not parents or carers; they are therefore in the unique position of being a trusted adult in the school setting who has chosen to come in every week to sit with a child one-to-one to help them with their reading skills. Children find this relationship extremely rewarding and valuable. Our volunteers are able to build excellent long-term relationships with the children they support and become a valued part of the school community.

Poor adult literacy is a major contributing factor in many of society’s challenges such as homelessness, unemployment, poverty, mental and physical health, and crime. 57% of prisoners in England have a reading age of an 11-year-old or younger.

  1. GOV.UK statistics: Key Stage 2 attainment, academic year 2024/25

  2. National Literacy Trust: Adult Literacy Rates in the UK, England 2024

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Report of the Trustees

Through addressing poor literacy amongst primary school children, on a large scale, Schoolreaders aims to make a long-term societal difference.

We remain a provision free to schools so that all children can have the opportunity to access this vital support to become good readers.

2024/25 headline facts[3]

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Report of the Trustees

Prioritising disadvantaged children

The child literacy gap is greatest amongst those children who are already disadvantaged. For this reason Schoolreaders prioritises reaching these children a’ with extra reading support. This takes more time and y therefore costs more but is proving to be achievable.

Schoolreaders Volunteers

Our Schoolreaders volunteers remain the heart of the charity and we value them extremely highly. We have a strong stewardship and training plan for our volunteers and the annual feedback from them is excellent. Interestingly, 51% of Schoolreaders volunteers have former in-school experience including ex-Head Teachers, Teachers, Teaching Assistants or Governors[4] .

It is a very positive endorsement of the Schoolreaders model that it is recognised and supported by so many education professionals. Our volunteers themselves find it extremely rewarding, seeing the difference that they are able to make to a child’s reading ability and enjoyment.

Collaborations

We actively seek collaboration with other organisations to drive efficiencies and provide support. This year included becoming a founder member of the Fair Education Alliance’s Literacy Link initiative, which is bringing together leading organisations in the literacy field to address child illiteracy from different angles.

We continued to work alongside and collaborate with other charities, local community groups, holiday clubs and sports teams to increase reach to the most disadvantaged children and to support other initiatives designed to enhance children’s literacy. Our partnerships with literary festivals around the country once again enabled us to provide children from our partner schools with access to children’s literature and authors.

Finance and resource

We maintained our core income this year, whilst also benefitting from the previous year’s threeyear lump sum from The October Club. This large award does skew the accounts visually. We are extremely grateful to our donors, many of whom have loyally supported our work over several years, enabling our growth.

Income for the year was £940,435 (2024 £1,664,046 of which £653,189 was the 3-year lump sum from The October Club) and expenditure was £1,168,453, of which £205,434 was The October Club funding expenditure (2024 £994,929).

We ended the year holding free reserves representing 7.0 months of budgeted operating costs for 2025/26, which is in line with our reserves policy of between 6 to 9 months’ operating costs.

  1. Annual Survey in partnership with Institute for Research in Education at the University of Bedfordshire, 2025

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Report of the Trustees

Thank you

Changing the life chances of thousands of children through Schoolreaders is only possible thanks to the many, many people who support the work in different ways. Whether a Schoolreaders volunteer, a partner school, a patron, a county ambassador volunteer, a donor of funding or services, a staff member, a special adviser or a trustee, you are all essential partners in this work and without you it simply couldn’t be done. A very sincere and heartfelt thank you to you all for being a part of this vital work, equipping children for a brighter future.

The Future

Now in its twelfth year, Schoolreaders is in a strong and resilient position, with a proven model. It is in great demand by schools. It is well positioned to continue forging ahead in reducing child illiteracy and the inequality which that brings. There is so much more to be done, which can happen if the resourcing is there. We remain on track to meet our mid-term goal of supporting 50,000 children per week in two years’ time.

2026 has been designated the ‘National Year of Reading’ by the Government in response to the fact that reading enjoyment amongst children is at its lowest level for at least twenty years. We attended the launch of the initiative at 10 Downing Street and, as the largest in-school child literacy charity, we are a Lead Delivery Partner. The increased awareness created by the campaign will enable Schoolreaders to continue to grow even further in reaching disadvantaged children.

Our long-term objective is to have a significant national impact on rates of child illiteracy. We have the ambition, and the model, to create social change, where volunteering in a local school, supporting the most disadvantaged children’s reading, becomes an embedded part of the nation’s cultural norm.

Jane Whitbread Chair of Trustees, March 2026

The Philip and Marjorie Robinson Charitable Trust are proud to support the inspiring work Schoolreaders do to tackle the decline in children’s reading skills. Every child deserves the gift of reading, and we wish Schoolreaders success in delivering 1.5million sessions in schools this National Year of Reading. Their energy, hard work and dedication is impressive.”

Nicki Bolton, Trustee, Philip and Marjorie Robinson Charitable Trust

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Report of the Trustees

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st August 2025.

The trustees have adopted the provisions and exemptions of the second edition of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ issued in October 2019. The reference and administrative details on page 3 form part of this report.

Objectives and Activities

Our vision is that every child should have the chance to learn to read well. 1 in 4 children in England leave primary school not reading to the expected standard, limiting their access to secondary education and future opportunities[5] .

The disadvantage gap is stark: 38% of disadvantaged children[6] (more than 1 in 3) do not meet expected reading levels. 1 in 6 children receiving Free School Meals do not own a single book[7] , and most lack opportunities for one-to-one reading with an adult at home - an essential factor in developing literacy. Only 10% of disadvantaged children who leave primary school reading below the expected standard will go on to achieve passes in GCSE English and Maths[8] .

Leaving secondary school with poor reading skills affects employment, earnings potential and physical and mental health, and increases the risk of poverty, homelessness and involvement in crime. 57% of prisoners in England read at the level of an 11-year-old or below[9] , and 1 in 6 adults in the UK struggle with basic reading tasks such as filling out a form or reading a medicine bottle or WhatsApp message[10] .

Reading for pleasure is the strongest predictor of a child’s future success, yet enjoyment of reading is at a twenty year low[11] . Evidence shows that early one-to-one support delivers the greatest gains in reading, and government guidance recommends starting these interventions as early as possible[12] .

One boy of 8 was very reluctant to come out to read. There was no eye contact, and no response to my comments or questions. He read so quietly I could hardly hear him. I decided that praise for the slightest thing he did was probably a way to deal with it and now after 3 months he’s reading loudly and with confidence, with eye contact and big smiles!”

Schoolreaders Volunteer, Liverpool

  1. GOV.UK statistics: Key Stage 2 attainment, academic year 2024/25

  2. Disadvantaged children are defined as those who face barriers to success, often (but not only) due to their socio-economic background. Our Deprivation Strategy prioritises primary schools in the top 20% of deprived areas and/or those with over 25% of pupils on free school meals.

  3. National Literacy Trust: Children and young people’s book ownership in 2025, 18/11/25

  4. GOV.UK: Ofsted: Now the whole school is reading – supporting struggling readers in secondary school, 31/10/22

  5. Shannon Trust: Learning to read in prison – time to invest in peer led programmes, 29/03/22

  6. National Literacy Trust: Adult Literacy Rates in the UK England 2024

  7. National Literacy Trust: Children and young people’s reading 2025, updated 12/06/25

  8. GOV.UK: Research Evidence on Reading for Pleasure, May 2012

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Report of the Trustees

Meeting the need

For over a decade, Schoolreaders has placed trained volunteers in primary schools to provide children with weekly one-to-one reading support.

Volunteers work face-to-face in school: a method that 99% of partner schools consider the most effective[13] . It is a bespoke and flexible model to suit every child’s needs. Our volunteers‘ minimum one-year commitment enables schools to tailor support to each child.

Schoolreaders is the largest in-school reading support charity in England with one quarter of primary schools registered i.e. requesting volunteers. By July 2025 over 35,000 children in more than 1,700 schools were receiving weekly one-to-one reading support - a 30% increase on the previous year.

Volunteers are interviewed and matched to their ‘best fit’ local school using our bespoke mapping system, prioritising those with the highest need. We provide volunteers with mandatory safeguarding training and reading support best practice, and all partner schools provide their own training and undertake enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance prior to volunteers starting in school. Our model is simple, impactful, cost-effective, and scalable. The service is free of charge to ensure all children can benefit.

The Schoolreaders volunteers have made a significant difference to our pupils’ reading confidence and fluency. Their consistent, friendly presence is a real asset to our school. Many of our reluctant readers now look forward to reading thanks to the encouragement and patience of the volunteers. Their support is invaluable. The one-to-one attention that volunteers give allows pupils to progress at their own pace, helping us meet individual reading needs more effectively.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Christchurch

  1. Annual Survey in partnership with Institute for Research in Education at the University of Bedfordshire, 2021

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Report of the Trustees

Why is Schoolreaders Unique?

Our volunteers play a unique role

As a trusted adult, who is not a parent or teacher, our volunteers are able to develop a personalised and supportive relationship in school, making children feel valued and increasing their motivation to read. Our trained volunteers commit to a minimum of one year and their time benefits not only a child’s reading ability and enjoyment, but their confidence and self-esteem too. This is a special role in a child’s life.

Schools have autonomy

We give schools flexibility to select the children to be supported based on individual needs and circumstances. This year 83.8% of schools prioritised children who had not read at home recently, 80.7% selected pupils who were reading below the expected standard, and 72.6% identified children experiencing difficulties with early reading acquisition[14] .

We prioritise the most disadvantaged There are proven links between poverty and poor literacy. As a response, our Deprivation Strategy prioritises primary schools in the top 20% of deprived areas and/or those with over 25% of

pupils on Free School Meals. 43% of children supported by Schoolreaders are eligible for Free School Meals compared with the national figure of 26%[15] .

Our impact is proven

Robust annual research with The Institute for Research in Education at the University of Bedfordshire consistently shows that the Schoolreaders intervention is highly effective.

Our service is free to schools Schoolreaders provides support at no cost, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to access vital reading help, regardless of their school’s financial status.

We are extremely cost-effective

Our model is underpinned by technology

Our bespoke, interactive mapping system enables our team to view real-time data on our partner schools, helping to match volunteers to schools for maximum impact. Volunteers also use our bespoke e-learning platform, which includes mandatory safeguarding training and resources, to support their role and enhance their time spent with children.

The Schoolreaders model is simple, proven and cost-effective. With 130 volunteers for every staff member that recruits, trains and supports them, every £1 is highly leveraged. Volunteers give an average of 2.7 hours per week (beyond the minimum commitment of just one hour) and typically stay well beyond the initial minimum commitment of one

year. Volunteer retention is strong - 79% of volunteers choose to continue beyond their initial one-year commitment.

  1. Annual Survey in partnership with Institute for Research in Education at the University of Bedfordshire, 2025 15. Annual Survey in partnership with Institute for Research in Education at the University of Bedfordshire, 2025

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Report of the Trustees

2024/25 Achievement and Performance

We started the year celebrating our 10th anniversary with a reception at the House of Commons, attended by our Patron Gyles Brandreth who read out a message from Her Majesty The Queen.

We ended the 2024/25 year supporting more than 35,000 children with weekly one-to-one reading support - a 30% uplift on 2023/4.

Since its inception in 2013, the Schoolreaders model has been proven and continues to be honed. It is incredibly simple, and everyone wins – the children benefit from consistent, regular additional reading support from a trusted adult, schools benefit from our trained volunteers spending time one-to-one with the children, and volunteers benefit from being part of their local community and an increased sense of value, purpose and wellbeing. Demand from schools for our services is high and growing. With 2026 being the National Year of Reading, we are ready to expand to reach as many children as our funding allows.

Operational achievements versus objectives this year:

Objective Status & Highlights
Safeguarding as top Achieved:Safeguarding embedded across all policies; standing agenda item
priority at all Trustee and SMT meetings.
Successful CEO
transition
35,300 children receiving
weekly reading support
Improve impact
measurement
Improve efficiency and
robustness
Monitor the literacy
landscape
Further develop
fundraising resilience
Advance Equality,
Diversity & Inclusion		 Achieved:Sally Wrampling joined as CEO in October 2024, transition has
been smooth and successful. Jane Whitbread remains as Chair of Trustees.
Exceeded:35,800 children supported weekly by July 2025, with 51% of
active schools in areas of high deprivation.
Achieved:Robust annual research among 457 schools and 1,472 volunteers
with University of Bedfordshire. Positive results and new questions added.
Achieved:New IT managed service; 7 new automations saving 840+ admin
hours; new volunteer check-in process.
Achieved:Attended 10 Downing Street launch, named as Lead Strategic Partner
in National Year of Reading; active in Fair Education Alliance and Literacy Link.
Achieved:Secured increased support and new multi-year grants, including
first £100,000 three-year award (from The Julia Rausing Trust). Provided
excellent bespoke reporting, including to regional funders.
Achieved:Trustee working group formed; cross-functional EDI group
established.

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Report of the Trustees

Key Facts From 2024/25

30%

1 in 4

more primary schools children in England supported have requested than last year Schoolreaders volunteers

Prioritising disadvantaged children 43% of the pupils supported by volunteers are eligible for Free School Meals compared with the national figure of 26%

1 million one-to-one reading sessions were delivered in the 2024/25 academic year

98% of schools say Schoolreaders volunteers enhance the reading culture of their school

51% of Schoolreaders volunteers have former in-school experience including as ex-Head Teachers, Deputy Head Teachers, Teachers, Teaching Assistants or Governors

On average Schoolreaders volunteers spend 2.7 hours per week in school supporting children

99% of our volunteers would recommend becoming a Schoolreaders volunteer

More than 3.5 million reading sessions delivered since 2013

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Report of the Trustees

Growth in number of children receiving weekly one-to-one reading support with aims to 2027/28

----- Start of picture text -----
60,000
55,000
50,000
50,000
43,000
40,000
35,830
30,000 27,170
18,540
20,000
10,100
10,000
0
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28
----- End of picture text -----

Reading sessions delivered

Number of one-to-one reading sessions 2013 - 2026

----- Start of picture text -----
1,500,000
TARGET
Over 3.5 million individual
reading sessions
delivered since 2013 1,078,650
804,120
509,680
302,850
272,570
237,190
182,290
75,220
28,490
0 5,870 [18,660] [36,410]
1,500,000
1,250,000
1,000,000
750,000
500,000
250,000
2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24 2024/25 2026
COVID-19 PANDEMIC School closures
----- End of picture text -----

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Report of the Trustees

2024/25 - Impact and Outcomes

Schoolreaders has partnered with the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute for Research in Education for seven years to undertake annual impact research. The 2024/25 study, involving a robust sample of 457 schools and 1,472 volunteers, again showed strong positive outcomes, highlighting the programme’s value. The survey also offered deeper insights into school needs and volunteer engagement, helping to further strengthen the model.

2024/25 Results (from 457 schools) have shown:

Prioritising the Most Disadvantaged Children

Reading Age Improvement

----- Start of picture text -----
26% 43%
Nearly half of all
Nationally, around
one quarter of children supported
children receive by Schoolreaders
receive pupil
pupil premium
premium
----- End of picture text -----

Incremental reading age improvement above the expected level of progress when support is given for different lengths of time

----- Start of picture text -----
2% 8% 1 % 7% 12 months +
11%
6-12 months
20% 3-6 months
28%
27% 1-3 months
1 month
No difference
43%
50%
50%
26%
13%
10% 4%
With support With support With support
for 1 term for 2 terms for 3 terms
----- End of picture text -----

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Report of the Trustees

Reading Age Improvement contd.

Schools used the flexibility of the Schoolreaders provision to tailor the support to each individual child’s needs. Of the schools who reported reading age improvement over three terms children’s reading age increased as shown here (right):

School feedback continues to emphasise how important it is for children to work with a reading volunteer who can commit consistently over one year or more. 62% of schools confirmed their pupils benefit from weekly sessions throughout the full academic year, while 38% receive support for varying lengths of time based on individual needs.

Incremental reading age improvement

Incremental reading age improvement above the expected level of progress when reading support is provided by a Schoolreaders volunteer over three terms

----- Start of picture text -----
Up to 3 months 30%
3-6 months 43%
6-12 months 20%
12+ months 7%
----- End of picture text -----

For how long is each child supported?

----- Start of picture text -----
11% 10% 62% 17%
1 term 2 terms 3 terms other
----- End of picture text -----

Other positive impact on children’s reading performance:

94%

of children gained in reading confidence

70% 83% improved of children their overall showed confidence improvement in reading fluency

82% increased their enjoyment of reading

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Report of the Trustees

Additional Benefits to Children

Schools report that the impact of Schoolreaders volunteers extends well beyond reading progress. Children show increased self-esteem, greater confidence, and improved social and relationship-building skills as a result of regular one-to-one support. Volunteers are consistently recognised as positive role models, offering stability and encouragement: something particularly valuable for pupils who may not receive this kind of focused adult attention elsewhere. The voluntary nature of the role also helps create a distinctive and trusted relationship, different from interactions with teaching staff, which many children respond to especially well.

79%

79%

69%

of schools highlighted the strong role-modelling impact of volunteers

noted improvements in children’s ability to build relationships

observed boosts in children’s self-esteem

Reading Culture

The vast majority of schools (98%) report that Schoolreaders volunteers make a significant contribution to strengthening their overall school reading culture.

Four key themes emerged from this year’s feedback:

It is lovely to have adults in school promoting reading who are not staff members. Our children have really benefitted from having non-staff adults in school who value reading and inspire our pupils to love books and reading too.” St Benedict’s Junior School, Glastonbury

Together, these contributions help create a more supportive and engaging reading environment for all pupils.

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Report of the Trustees

2024/25 Volunteer Facts and Impact (from 1,472 volunteer respondents)

Schoolreaders volunteers are central to our mission of improving children’s literacy and future opportunities. We support volunteers throughout their journey with mandatory training modules and ongoing guidance by phone and email.

To maintain engagement, volunteers can join regular online forums, attend in-person county events, and connect through our active private Facebook community.

Our end-of-year survey shows consistently high volunteer satisfaction, with volunteers expressing strong enjoyment, commitment, and loyalty - demonstrating the strength of the Schoolreaders experience.

----- Start of picture text -----
RECOMMENDATION RATE VOLUNTEER SATISFACTION VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT
99.2% 87% 95%
would recommend rated their school intend to continue
becoming a placement as volunteering
Schoolreaders excellent or good with Schoolreaders
volunteer in 2025/26
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
TIME COMMITMENT:
Volunteers spent an average of
2.7 hours
----- End of picture text -----

per week with children, a substantial contribution that, alongside a minimum one-year commitment, provides schools with a reliable source of high-quality reading support

MOTIVATIONS 85% felt they were making a meaningful difference to children’s lives, while 73% reported an increased sense of purpose and personal fulfilment

I absolutely love my time at the school. I get very attached to the children and really want to help them learn to read. I get on well with the teacher and TA and they really seem to appreciate my help. The school has a number who come in with little

or no English and it’s really rewarding to help them and see them progress.”

Schoolreaders Volunteer, Cheltenham

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----- Start of picture text -----
Report of the Trustees
----- End of picture text -----

Cost-efficiency and Value of the Schoolreaders Model The Schoolreaders model continues to offer exceptional value due to the very high proportion of volunteers within the organisation. For every staff member there are 130 volunteers, ensuring that each £1 invested is highly leveraged and directly contributes to frontline impact.

In 2024/25 the cost of providing a full year of weekly one-to-one reading support was just £40 per child, representing outstanding value for an intervention that can profoundly influence literacy development during the primary years and beyond.

If volunteer time were monetised at the National Living Wage for 2024/25, the total value of their contribution would be at least £3.5 million, with the cumulative value of volunteer hours since Schoolreaders began in 2013 now approaching £11.5 million.

It has been our first time being involved with Schoolreaders and it has been a very positive experience. The impact on the children has been great and our volunteer has been so professional and competent at all times. She has been punctual and reliable. It has been a pleasure to have her in our school.”

St Margaret Clitherow RC Primary School, London

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Report of the Trustees

2024/25 - Our Funders and Supporters

Every contribution to Schoolreaders plays a vital role in helping us deliver our work, and we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has supported us this year. Whether you have given a regular monthly gift, taken part in or donated to a fundraising event, pledged a legacy, offered corporate support or sponsorship, or backed the charity through a grant, your generosity has had a real impact. Each supporter and funding partner enables us to reach more children with the literacy help they need, and on behalf of every child who has strengthened their reading skills this year, we offer our heartfelt thanks.

While we are unable to list every donor individually, we would like to acknowledge the following supporters for the significant contribution they have made in 2024/25:

Partners and Organisations

Kindred, Maths Circle, Moonlight Publishing, Simons Developments, Stamptastic, The October Club, Tritax Big Box REIT plc, What on Earth! Magazine, World of Books, and Members of our Founding Circle.

We are proud to support Schoolreaders in their mission of delivering reading sessions to children all over England. This long-standing partnership aligns and plays an integral part in the mission of our 5-year social impact strategy. We aim to reach and impact the lives of 250,000 young people in areas where we manage and develop assets, enhancing employability skills and building the future workforce of our clients.”

Jennie Colville, ESG Director, Tritax Big Box.

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Report of the Trustees

Charitable Trusts 2024/25

Buffini Chao Foundation

The Eveson Trust The Dulverton Trust Garfield Weston Foundation

The Harpur Trust Jack Lane Charitable Trust J Reginald Corah Foundation Fund The Julia Rausing Trust The Stockwell/Cliffe Charitable Trust Suffolk Community Foundation

The Julia Rausing Trust is really pleased to support Schoolreaders – they have an extensive network of volunteers who are able to provide effective, low-cost reading interventions in primary schools across the country.” Daniel Chapman, The Julia Rausing Trust

The Girdlers’ Company Charitable Trust has been delighted to support the hugely important work of Schoolreaders through our member-led grant programme. The work of the charity directly aligns with a beneficial outcome we seek to achieve with our funding, the improvement of literacy, which in turn influences the life chances of the children supported.”

Sarah Bennett, Girdlers’ Company

Individuals

We are grateful to the many individuals who have shown remarkable generosity throughout the year, including members of our 100 Club. Their ongoing commitment is especially appreciated, and we deeply value this continued support.

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Report of the Trustees

Our Theory of Change

The problem

1 in 4 children in England fail to reach the expected standard of reading by age 11 (more for disadvantaged children), with lifelong negative consequences.

What we do

Through trained, local volunteers we provide free, consistent, in-person reading support to the children who need it most.

How we deliver

----- Start of picture text -----
Schools register We recruit volunteers Applicants are We provide training
and request from the local interviewed and using our and the school
reading volunteers community who can live mapping system are undertakes an
commit at least one matched to their ‘best enhanced DBS
hour a week for a check on each
fit’ school, following our
minimum of one year Deprivation Strategy volunteer
ee ;
We robustly measure We put schools in control of how Volunteers provide weekly
impact to ensure we are the volunteers are deployed, one-to-one reading sessions in
making a real difference ensuring the children most in the school setting, for as long as
need of support are reached the child needs support
----- End of picture text -----

The outcomes: empowering children through improved literacy and transforming individuals, families and communities

FOR VOLUNTEERS:

FOR CHILDREN:

FOR SCHOOLS:

We rely entirely on voluntary income to deliver our services, which are provided free of charge to schools. Every £1 invested is highly leveraged, with 130 volunteers for every staff member. It costs just £40 per child to provide reading support for a whole year.

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Report of the Trustees

2025/26 Plans

Schoolreaders is the largest in-school literacy charity in the country, and demand from schools for our services shows no sign of slowing. Following a year of strong growth, with a 30% increase in the number of children supported, we will continue our expansion in a strategic way. We aim to be supporting 43,000 children one-to-one every week by the end of the 2025-26 academic year, focusing on the most disadvantaged children. The National Year of Reading 2026 provides an excellent platform to work in partnership with schools, volunteers, funders, and supporters.

Generous funding from The October Club to expand our work across the North of England over a three-year period comes to an end in December 2026, so finalising the plan to continue our work in the most deprived areas of the North of England is a priority.

He makes reading fun and exciting! He always listens to us, helps us when we’re stuck, and asks really cool questions that make us think. He believes in us and makes us feel proud of what we can do.”

Schoolreaders Partner School Pupil, Nottinghamshire

Retain safeguarding as the key priority

To provide 43,000 children with weekly reading support by August 2026, with a focus on those that need support the most

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Report of the Trustees

Develop longer term plan to support more children, including in the North of England

Improve the efficiency and robustness of the Charity

Ensure financial resilience for 2025/26 and beyond

Monitor and respond to developments in the education and literacy charity landscape

Further improve measurement of the impact of the Schoolreaders provision

She is patient, she waits for us to read and she never says “hurry up”!” Schoolreaders Partner School Pupil, Cheshire

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Report of the Trustees

Fundraising Statement

Schoolreaders is very grateful for the generosity shown by all our supporters. Every donation and grant helps us progress towards our vision of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to read well. To sustain and expand our work, we aim to secure steady and reliable funding through a broad mix of fundraising activities that engage individuals, communities and external organisations.

Charitable trusts and corporate foundations continue to make a significant contribution to our annual income. We take a thoughtful and ethical approach to both applying for and

managing these grants. Before approaching a grant-making body, we carry out appropriate due diligence to ensure eligibility and alignment with their priorities. Our applications are honest, accurate, and reflective of our work, and when successful, we fulfil all reporting requirements and provide tailored updates that demonstrate the tangible impact of their support.

We also receive invaluable support from individuals, corporate partners and community groups who host or take part in fundraising activities, make donations, or choose to leave a gift in their Will. Our relationships with companies continue to be an important source of income, delivered through multi-year partnerships, Charity of the Year programmes, sponsorship opportunities, employee fundraising and cause related marketing. When appropriate, we also run direct mail campaigns and public appeals, always in full compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

As part of our commitment to fundraising best practice, Schoolreaders is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. We uphold its Fundraising Promise, and our fundraising team adheres to the Code of Fundraising Practice. Alongside this, we operate our own thorough compliance processes and training to ensure that all fundraising is legal, transparent and respectful. We also ensure that our fundraising approach reflects our organisational values:

We welcome all feedback on our work, and our complaints policy ensures that any concerns are handled constructively, impartially and with care. We are pleased to report that no complaints were received during this financial year.

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Report of the Trustees

Legal and Governance Information

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and have complied with the Charities Act 2011 in determining the activities planned by the charity.

  1. The objectives of the charity are clear: to advance education by providing and assisting the provision of literacy support in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including the provision of volunteers to primary schools to listen to pupils read and encourage their reading skills.

  2. All aims and activities undertaken are intended to further Schoolreaders’ charitable objectives.

  3. The people who receive support are entitled to do so according to the criteria set out in the charity’s objectives. All of Schoolreaders’ work is focused on its target beneficiaries: children.

Structure, Governance and Management

Organisation structure

The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees who normally meet six times per year and attend an annual strategic planning meeting with the Senior Management Team. The trustees are responsible for ensuring that the charity is well-managed and operates in line with its objectives, legal obligations, and its budget. When necessary the trustees seek advice and support from the charity’s professional advisers. A trustee can hold office for a period of three years and may be re-appointed if they remain appropriately qualified for the role.

There is a Senior Management Team of five, led by the CEO, who manage and run the charity on a daily basis including the roles of: schools liaison, education, fundraising, volunteer management, marketing and PR, finance, design, IT and HR. There are a number of specialist advisors and sub-committees supporting the operation.

The charity is very volunteer-weighted and benefits from volunteer support ranging from trustee and advisory roles to executive involvement, county-centric planning and operations, and of course our Schoolreaders reading volunteers, without whose commitment and time none of the operation would happen.

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Report of the Trustees

Key Management Personnel

The Board considers that the CEO and Senior Management Team are responsible for directing and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis. Salary and remuneration of key personnel are reviewed annually in line with industry benchmarking.

Recruitment and Appointment

of new Trustees

The identification of potential new trustees is carried out by the Board, the aim being to appoint those with the appropriate expertise and experience to contribute effectively to the strategy and governance of the charity. New trustees are appointed in line with the Safer Recruitment process and are thoroughly briefed on the history of the charity, the responsibilities of the trustees, current objectives, future plans, and the charity’s day-today management.

All volunteers have been amazing and have had a significant impact on the reading fluency of pupils who do not read at home. All pupils are desperate to have the chance to read with them. All volunteers are enthusiastic and are keen to give the school extra time.”

Whittaker Moss Primary School, Rochdale

Risk Management

The trustees have identified and assessed the principal risks to which the charity may be exposed and are satisfied that there are strategies and procedures in place to monitor and mitigate these risks as far as possible.

A risk register and map are maintained, measuring the weight and likelihood of a risk occurring. This is reviewed regularly by the Senior Management Team and trustees, and by exception should the risk environment change significantly.

The principal risks that have been identified and assessed regularly are:

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Report of the Trustees

Financial Review

Financial summary

This year shows a planned deficit following the exceptional one-off fundraising event delivered in 2023/24 by The October Club, which generated over £650,000 to be spent over three years to expand our services in the North of England. As such there was a net decrease in funds for the year of £228,018 (2024 £669,117 increase), of which £205,434 was the Year 2 drawdown of funds raised by The October Club. Income for the year was £940,435 (2024 £1,664,046). Total expenditure for the period was £1,168,453 (2024 £994,929). At the end of the financial year unrestricted reserves are £647,033 (2024 £691,531). Of these, free reserves are £638,766 (2024 £687,220).

Donated Services

Schoolreaders has benefited greatly from the kindness and generosity of many people and organisations who have given their time, expertise and wisdom across a variety of disciplines and areas of operation, allowing the organisation to thrive. We are extremely grateful to each and every one.

This year the combined value of all our volunteers’ time, at every level of the organisation, is estimated at well over £3.5 million (on an equivalent National Living Wage basis).

Investments

The charity’s investment policy has been developed to ensure reserves are invested prudently in highly liquid investments with minimum risk to capital value and with optimal return. Cash balances are only deposited with institutions with a rating of A- or above and all investment decisions comply with the charity’s overall corporate ethical policy.

Reserves Policy

The trustees keep the reserves policy for the charity under review in light of its growth, future plans and financial risks. The reserves target is to maintain free reserves at between 6 and 9 months’ average budgeted core operating costs. These reserves include only realised, unrestricted reserves and therefore exclude restricted or other designated funds or grants pledged but not yet received. Free reserves at 31st August 2025 were equivalent to 7.0 months’ average expected operating costs for the forthcoming year. The trustees consider the current level of reserves as prudent and sufficient given the charity’s growth, strategic plans and the current economic climate.

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Report of the Trustees

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011 and Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the provisions of the trust deed require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

Jane Whitbread – Chair of Trustees Date: 24th March 2026

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Independent Auditors Report

Independent Auditors Report

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Schoolreaders for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102; The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the Trustees’ Annual Report set out on pages 4 to 28, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report.

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Independent Auditors Report

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements, or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees for the financial statements

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities set out on page 28, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements which give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.

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Report of the Independent AuditorIndependent Auditors Report

Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below.

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the company and the industry in which it operates and considered the risk of acts by the company that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud. These included, but were not limited to, the Charities Act 2011, Charities SORP 2019 and tax legislation.

We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements and the financial report (including the risk of override of controls) and determined that the principal risks were related to posting inappropriate entries including journals to overstate revenue or understate expenditure and management bias in accounting estimates.

Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https:// www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

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Report of the Independent AuditorIndependent Auditors Report

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Steve Robinson FCA Senior Statutory Auditor For and on behalf of Mercer & Hole LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors The Pinnacle, 170 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 1BP

Date: 31st March 2026

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Financial Reporting

Statement of Financial Activities Statement of Financial Activities Statement of Financial Activities
For the year ended 31 August 2025
Year ended Year ended
2025 2025 2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Note £ £ £ £
Income
Grants & donations 2 556,844 288,500 845,344 840,641
Fundraisingevents 2 17,005 100 17,105 764,232
Gift Aid 2 10,239 - 10,239 21,656
Income from other tradingactivities 3 2,382 - 2,382 2,638
Other income 3 1,000 - 1,000 250
Interest income 4 64,365 - 64,365 34,629
Total income 651,835 288,600 940,435 1,664,046
Expenditure
Raisingfunds 5 128,242 66,748 194,990 175,862
Charitable activities 6 568,091 405,372 973,463 819,067
Total expenditure 696,333 472,120 1,168,453 994,929
Net income and net movement in
funds for theyear		 (44,498) (183,520) (228,018) 669,117
Reconciliation of Funds
Total funds brought forward 691,531 622,628 1,314,159 645,042
Total funds carried forward 647,033 439,108 1,086,141 1,314,159

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Financial Reporting

Comparative Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 August 2024

Year ended
2024 2024 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds
Note £ £ £
Income
Grants & donations 2 589,241 251,400 840,641
Fundraisingevents 2 63,657 700,575 764,232
Gift Aid 21,656 - 21,656
Income from other tradingactivities 3 2,638 - 2,638
Other income 3 250 - 250
Interest income 4 34,629 - 34,629
Total income 712,071 951,975 1,664,046
Expenditure
Raisingfunds 5 165,341 10,521 175,862
Charitable activities 6 434,293 384,774 819,067
Total expenditure 599,634 395,295 994,929
Net income and net movement in funds for theyear 112,437 556,680 669,117
Reconciliation of Funds
Total funds brought forward 579,094 65,948 645,042
Total funds carried forward 691,531 622,628 1,314,159

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Financial Reporting

Balance Sheet Balance Sheet
At 31 August 2025
2025 2025 2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Note £ £ £ £
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets 12 7,332 - 7,332 4,311
Current Assets
Stock 935 - 935 1,657
Debtors 13 44,601 4,000 48,601 44,457
Current asset investments 14 553,076 335,108 888,184 1,126,630
Cash at bank and in hand 14 78,496 100,000 178,496 178,929
677,108 439,108 1,116,216 1,351,673
Creditors
Amounts fallingdue within oneyear 15 37,407 - 37,407 41,825
Net Current Assets 639,701 439,108 1,078,809 1,309,848
Total Assets less Current Liabilities 647,033 439,108 1,086,141 1,314,159
Net Assets 647,033 439,108 1,086,141 1,314,159
Funds
Unrestricted funds 16 647,033 - 647,033 691,531
Restricted funds 16 - 439,108 439,108 622,628
Total Funds 647,033 439,108 1,086,141 1,314,159

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 24th March 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

Jane Whitbread – Chair of Trustees

The notes at pages 37 to 48 form part of these accounts. The comparative breakdown of prior year fund balances for the Statement of Financial Activity and the Balance Sheet is given in note 16.

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Financial Reporting

Cashfow Statement
For The Year Ended 31 August 2025
2025 2024
Note £ £ £ £
Net movement in funds (228,018) 669,117
Adjustment for:
Depreciation 4,542 4,881
Investment income (64,364) (34,629)
(59,823) (29,748)
Decrease/(Increase) in stock 722 1,465
Decrease/(Increase) in debtors (4,144) (26,782)
Increase/(Decrease) in creditors (4,418) (1,744)
(7,840) (27,061)
Net cash from operatingincome (295,681) 612,308
Investingactivities
Purchase of Fixed Assets (7,563) (3,422)
Disposal of Fixed Assets - 6,202
Investment income 64,364 34,629
Purchase of investments (241,965) (726,618)
Sale of investments 480,412 120,018
295,248 (569,191)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents (433) (43,117)
Cash and cash equivalents at start ofyear 178,929 135,812
Cash and cash equivalents at the end ofyear 14 178,496 178,929

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Financial Reporting

1. Accounting Policies

Basis of Preparation

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice. The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Statement of Compliance

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (second edition - October 2019) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011).

Going Concern

The accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. This year shows a planned deficit following the exceptional, one-off fundraising event delivered in 2023/24 by The October Club, which generated over £650,000 to be spent over three years to expand our services in the North of England. Of the £228,018 deficit made in the year, £205,434 relates to the second year of costs of service delivery funded by The October Club award and held in reserves. As such, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the accounting policies.

Income

All income, including grant income receivable in future accounting periods, is included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is entitled to the income, it is probable that it will be received, and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Expenditure and allocation and apportionment of costs

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Fundraising costs are those costs attributable to generating income for the charity. The costs of charitable activities comprise all costs incurred in the pursuit of the charitable objectives of the charity. Support costs are those costs which do not relate to a single activity and have been apportioned between fundraising costs and charitable activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

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Financial Reporting

Gifts in kind

Donated goods received to give away are recognised in income and expenses at fair value.

Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Items with a unit cost below £500 are written off through the Statement of Financial Activities unless a number of items bought together with a unit cost below that value exceed £500 in total. Depreciation is calculated on a monthly basis so as to write off the unit cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, on a straight-line basis over the useful economic life of that asset as follows: • Office furniture and equipment 33%.

Stock

Stock is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

Debtors

Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provisions for non-recoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. They are discounted to the present value of the future cash receipt where such discounting is material.

Current asset investments

Current asset investments represent liquid investments with a maturity date of less than 24 months at the balance sheet date.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Liabilities & creditors

Liabilities & creditors are recognised when the entity has an obligation to transfer economic benefits as a result of past transactions or events.

Pension costs

The Charity contributes to a defined pension contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are recognised in the financial statements when due.

Key accounting estimates and areas of judgement

In the application of the Charity’s accounting policies, management is required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

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Financial Reporting

2. Voluntary Income

Voluntary Income

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Grants 427,729 238,100 665,829 564,997
Donations 129,114 50,400 179,514 275,644
Legacies - - - -
Gift Aid 10,239 - 10,239 21,656
Grants & donations 567,083 288,500 855,583 862,297
Fundraisingevents 17,005 100 17,105 764,232
584,089 288,600 872,689 1,626,529

Fundraising events income in the prior year includes one-off event income from The October Club amounting to £653,189, to be spent over three years. £176,577 was spent in the prior year and the balance has been retained, pending expenditure in years 2 and 3.

£205,434 was drawn from The October Club restricted reserves in the current year to fund year 2 expenditure against this award.

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Financial Reporting

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Buffni Chao Foundation 25,000 - 25,000 25,000
The Eveson Trust - 15,000 15,000 10,000
Garfeld Weston Foundation 60,000 60,000 -
J Reginald Corah Foundation Fund - 1,200 1,200 1,200
Jack Lane Charitable Trust - 1,200 1,200 -
Suffolk CommunityFoundation - 2,800 2,800 -
The Dulverton Trust 40,000 - 40,000 25,000
The Harpur Trust - 4,000 4,000 -
The Julia RausingTrust - 100,000 100,000 -
The Stockwell / Cliffe Charitable Trust - 1,000 1,000 -
Other 302,729 112,900 415,629 503,797
427,729 238,100 665,829 564,997

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Financial Reporting

3. Income From Other Trading Activities

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Sales of Christmas cards 2,382 - 2,382 2,638
Other 1,000 - 1,000 250
Total 3,382 - 3,382 2,888

4. Investment Income

The Charity’s investment income of £64,365 (2024 £34,629) arises from money held in interest bearing deposit accounts and investments in short-dated government securities and other cash equivalents. These investments include the remaining approximately 2 years of the 3-year award funding from The October Club, raised in October 2023. Years 2 and 3 of this funding has been invested to optimise investment income pending being used to fund relevant costs in those years.

5. Raising Funds

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Research, preparation and stewarding
of funding applications; monitoring; 128,242 66,748 194,990 175,862
events and reporting

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Financial Reporting

6. Charitable Activities

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Provision of Schoolreaders service:
Service delivery 268,526 280,296 548,822 415,397
Service management 128,565 51,727 180,292 174,326
Financial management 32,938 1,571 34,509 8,758
Offce and other staff costs 96,496 31,960 128,456 137,875
Printing& marketing 3,749 23,570 27,319 24,543
Computer & database costs 27,040 9,248 36,288 43,568
Governance costs:
Financial management 7,279 7,000 14,279 11,134
Insurance 3,498 - 3,498 3,466
568,091 405,372 973,463 819,067

Service delivery costs have increased due to the appointment of a full-time salaried CEO in the year. Additional staff were also employed in order to consolidate current service delivery and financial management commitments – particularly a full year of The October Club funded commitments – and to support future growth plans.

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Financial Reporting

7. Expenditure Analysis

Raising funds Schoolreaders Support Governance Total
service
£ £ £ £
Service delivery 113,823 496,204 52,618 662,645
Service management 37,535 126,192 54,100 217,827
Financial management - 1,571 32,938 14,279 48,788
Offce and other staff costs 18,946 98,173 30,283 147,402
Printing& marketing 23,622 27,319 - 50,941
Computer & database costs 1,064 36,288 - 37,352
Events & other fundraising -
costs - - -
Investment management - - - - -
Insurance - - 3,498 3,498
194,990 785,747 169,939 17,777 1,168,453
Support costs 169,939 (169,939) -
Governance costs 17,777 (17,777) -
Total expenditure 194,990 973,463 - - 1,168,453

8. Net Income

Net income is stated after charging:

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
£ £
Depreciation 4,542 4,881
Auditor’s remuneration 11,340 10,800
15,882 15,681

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Financial Reporting

9. Staff Costs

The average number of employees in the year was 29 (2024 - 23). 1 employee had emoluments in excess of £60,000 (2024 - none). Total employment benefits of key management personnel were £219,584 (2024 - £111,914). Total staff costs paid in the year are as follows (2024 - £562,648):

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
£ £
Gross salaries 727,626 517,953
Social Securitycosts 59,660 33,518
Pension contributions 16,993 11,177
804,279 562,648

Key management personnel costs increased during the period due to a full year of salaried Senior Management Team of 5 members (2024 – 3 salaried members), including the first paid CEO. Staff numbers also increased in the year following recruitment to fulfil additional service delivery commitments.

10. Trustees’ Remuneration and Benefits

There were no trustees’ remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 August 2025 (2024 £Nil). Trustees’ expenses amounting to £Nil were paid during the year ended 31 August 2025 (2024 £Nil).

11. Auditor’s Remunerations

The auditor’s remuneration constituted an audit fee of £11,340 (2024 £10,800).

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Financial Reporting

12. Tangible Assets

2025 2024
£ £
Cost
At 1 September 17,151 25,953
Additions 7,563 3,422
Disposals - (12,224)
At 31 August 24,714 17,151
Depreciation
At 1 September 12,840 13,982
Disposals - (6,023)
Charge for theyear 4,542 4,881
At 31 August 17,382 12,840
Carrying Amount
At 1st September 4,311 11,971
At 31st August 7,332 4,311

13. Debtors

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Debtors 9,632 - 9,632 17,349
Prepayments 24,969 - 24,969 20,308
Accrued income 10,000 4,000 14,000 6,800
Total Debtors 44,601 4,000 48,601 44,457

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Financial Reporting

14. Cash and Asset Investments

2025 2024
£ £
Current asset Investments 888,184 1,126,630
Cash at Bank 178,496 178,929
Total Cash Assets 1,066,697 1,305,559

The reduction of cash and asset investments from £1,305,559 to £1,066,697 is mainly accounted for by a drawdown to fund year 2 costs related to The October Club 3-year award (see note 4)

15. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Year ended Year ended
31.08.25 31.08.24
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Creditors and accruals 37,407 - 37,407 41,825
16. Movement In Funds
At At
31.08.24 Income Expenditure 31.08.25
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 691,531 651,835 (696,333) 647,033
Restricted funds
Total 622,628 288,600 (472,120) 439,108
TOTAL FUNDS 1,314,159 940,435 (1,168,453) 1,086,141

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Financial Reporting

16. Movement In Funds contd.

At At
31.08.23 Income Expenditure 31.08.24
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 579,094 712,071 (599,634) 691,531
Restricted funds
Total 65,948 951,975 (395,295) 622,628
TOTAL FUNDS 645,042 1,664,046 (994,929) 1,314,159

Net movement in funds, included in the above, is as follows:

Balance at Balance at
31.08.24 Income Expenditure 31.08.25
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds 691,531 651,835 (696,333) 647,033
Restricted funds
Bedfordshire* - 13,000 (9,000) 4,000
House of Commons event** 10,000 - (10,000) -
Newark* 10,000 10,000 (10,000) 10,000
Operations Coordinator*** 5,000 (5,000)
Other Counties* 117,622 160,600 (232,686) 45,536
The October Club**** 485,006 - (205,434) 279,572
The Julia RausingTrust * - 100,000 - 100,000
Total restricted funds 622,628 288,600 (472,120) 439,108
TOTAL FUNDS 1,314,159 940,435 (1,168,453) 1,086,141

Restricted fund analysis

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Financial Reporting

17. Analysis Of Net Assets Between Funds

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Tangible Fixed Assets 7,332 - 7,332 4,311
Investments 553,076 335,108 888,184 1,126,630
Current Assets 124,032 104,000 228,032 225,043
Current Liabilities (37,407) - (37,407) (41,825)
Total 647,033 439,108 1,086,141 1,314,159

18. Related Party Transactions

Donations without conditions received from related parties in the year totalled £36,790 (2024 £38,058).

19. Financial Commitments

Financial commitments at 31 August 2025 amounted to £14,603 (2024 £16,537).

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