National Literacy Trust

National Literacy Trust
Name	National Literacy Trust
Formation	1993
Type	Charity
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive

National Literacy Trust is an independent charity established in 1993 to promote reading, writing and spoken language skills across the United Kingdom. The organisation works with schools, libraries, community groups and policymakers to improve literacy outcomes for children, families and adults. Its activities span advocacy, campaigning, research, community programmes and partnerships with public and private sector institutions.

History

The organisation was founded in 1993 with early engagement from institutions such as the British Library, Department for Education (United Kingdom), BBC, National Centre for Social Research, Arts Council England, and the British Council. In its formative years it collaborated with education bodies including Ofsted, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and regional authorities like the Greater London Authority and Manchester City Council. During the 2000s it expanded programmes in partnership with cultural institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom), and media organisations including The Guardian, The Times, Channel 4, and ITV. Major campaign milestones involved support from charities such as Barnardo's, Save the Children, Children's Commissioner for England, and policy research with the Institute for Public Policy Research, RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Nesta. The organisation has influenced initiatives referenced by parliamentary committees including the Education Select Committee and engaged with devolved administrations like the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mission and Objectives

The charity aims to advance literacy by setting measurable objectives in partnership with stakeholders such as Ofsted, Local Government Association, Public Health England, NHS England, and major examination boards including AQA, Pearson plc, OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA). Strategic objectives align with cultural partners like British Film Institute and Royal Opera House, corporate partners including Sainsbury's, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Barclays, and philanthropic donors including The National Lottery Community Fund. Objectives address attainment gaps identified by research bodies such as the Education Endowment Foundation and think tanks like the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Resolution Foundation.

Programs and Initiatives

Programmatic work has included school-based interventions, family literacy initiatives, community reading campaigns, and adult literacy support delivered with partners such as BookTrust, Reading Agency, YoungMinds, Parentkind, National Association for Head Teachers, and National Union of Teachers. Notable initiatives have linked with festivals and events including the Hay Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, London Book Fair, World Book Day, and awards such as the Costa Book Awards. Delivery partners have included local authorities like Birmingham City Council, Liverpool City Council, Leeds City Council, Bristol City Council, and third-sector organisations such as Citizens Advice, Action for Children, The Prince’s Trust, YMCA, and Mind. Technology and digital reading pilots involved collaboration with BBC Bitesize, Google UK, Microsoft UK, Amazon (company), and platform providers such as Piccadilly Records and Kindle (device) initiatives.

Research and Publications

The charity produces annual reports, regional literacy surveys and topic-specific analyses often cited by institutions like University College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, King's College London, London School of Economics, University of Sheffield, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, and research councils including the Economic and Social Research Council. Its publications have informed policy documents from bodies such as the Department for Education (United Kingdom), Scottish Qualifications Authority, and international organisations like the UNESCO and OECD. The organisation's evidence base draws on longitudinal datasets from partners including National Pupil Database, assessment consortia such as Progress 8 analysts, and academic collaborations with centres like the Bennett Institute for Public Policy and institutes including the Smith Institute.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnership models encompass corporate sponsorship from retailers and banks such as Sainsbury's, Tesco, Barclays, HSBC, and publishing houses including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury Publishing, Hachette UK, and Macmillan Publishers. Philanthropic support has come from foundations such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and individual benefactors associated with trusts like The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Clore Duffield Foundation. Program delivery partners include libraries and cultural agencies such as Libraries Connected, National Literacy Trust, British Library, Museum of London, Imperial War Museums, and education partners such as Teach First and The Sutton Trust.

Impact and Evaluation

Impact assessments have been conducted in collaboration with evaluation teams from universities including University of Warwick, University of Leeds, University of Birmingham, University of Southampton, University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, and research consultancies such as Ipsos MORI, Kantar Public, and Demos. Evaluations report changes in reading frequency, vocabulary measures and classroom engagement used by school leaders in trusts like Academies Enterprise Trust, United Learning, Outwood Grange Academies Trust, and local networks including Children’s Centres. Findings have been cited in policy debates at venues such as Westminster Hall and in reports by the House of Commons Library and the National Audit Office examining literacy interventions and public service outcomes.

Category:Literacy