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Reading Schools Fund

Applications are currently open. Deadline: Friday 31 October 2025.

About the Reading Schools Fund

What do we want to fund?

We are looking to fund projects and purchases that will help your setting and learners achieve Reading School accreditation. Grants of up to £500 are available to purchase:

This competitive Fund aims to allocate awards to 40 successful applications.

Who can apply?

The Reading Schools Fund is open to state funded schools and grant-aided specialist provisions in Scotland that are working towards Reading School accreditation(this will open in a new window). To be eligible, you must have an approved action plan and be actively working towards accreditation at Core, Silver or Gold level. This Fund is not open to settings that were awarded Reading Schools funding in the past three years, or Early Learning and Childcare settings.

Timeline

How to apply

Step 1: Confirming your details

Your funding Key Contact should confirm you are an eligible setting, currently working on your Reading Schools accreditation through an approved Action Plan and intend to continue to accreditation. Your Key Contact must agree to administrate and manage any funds, and return your Confirmation of Spend by Tuesday 31 March 2026 if successful.

Step 2: Reading Leadership Group submission

We want to hear from your Reading Leadership Group directly, and the format they choose is up to them – be as creative as you like, just remember that this section of your application must be pupil-led. Entries will be judged on content not presentation, but do remember to have fun with it!  We advise that you begin discussing this with your Reading Leadership Group as soon as possible, to ensure there is plenty of time to put together their submission before the deadline on Friday 31 October 2025.

By giving our Reading Leadership Group responsibility for deciding how to spend the funding, we watched them develop their enthusiasm and leadership skills, not only considering their own interests and wishes, but also reflecting on what the rest of their peers wanted and needed as well.

2024/25 funding feedback

What is the Panel looking for in your Reading Leadership Group submission?

The submission should reflect the interests and expression of your pupils, whether they choose to draw a picture of their proposed reading space or take us on a walking tour of your existing library collection. Let them tell us how they want to use the fund for books and reading materials, and/or furnishings for reading spaces. They must also:

By giving pupils greater ownership of their new reading space, they became more motivated to discuss their needs and preferences for the library. This generated excellent ideas, including the creation of mood boards that linked their concepts to preferred products while working within a budget. Embedding pupil voice in our reading initiative aims to foster a sustained culture of reading that continuously evolves based on student input.

2024/25 funding feedback

What submission formats do we accept?

Applications will not be accepted in incompatible file formats and may not be reviewed in full if they exceed the maximum content allocations.

The Reading Leadership Group thoroughly enjoyed putting together their application for the funding. They were desperate to show their enthusiasm and passion for reading. They used their ICT and literacy skills to create the script and video, and worked well as a team to edit and produce it.

2024/25 funding feedback

The Reading Committee were very enthusiastic throughout the creation of our poem. Their involvement at the forefront of the application inspired them to work hard and think carefully about what was needed, as they felt that they could be directly responsible for making a change.

2024/25 funding feedback

Step 3: Supporting information from the Key Contact

The final section of the form is to be completed by the Key Contact in support of the Reading Leadership Group submission. Please be aware that we receive a high volume of applications for this fund, and it is essential that you support the Reading Leadership Group’s application with clear strategic oversight and context on your setting. Applications will be assessed by an independent panel, including representatives from Scottish Government and Education Scotland.

By gathering pupils’ perspectives, we have tailored our approaches to literacy development, making reading more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. This collaboration has helped engage parents and the wider school community, reinforcing the importance of reading beyond the classroom. Ultimately, involving pupils in the process has not only enriched our funding application but has led to lasting improvements in reading engagement, attainment and literacy outcomes.

2024/25 funding feedback

Start your application now

Deadline: Friday 31 October 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.