Our 2023-24 Impact Report, published to coincide with UN International Day of Education*, shows the power of connecting caring adults with struggling young readers.

The statistics are sobering: according to the National Literacy Trust's 2024 annual survey, just 34.6% of children say they enjoy reading - the lowest level since 2005. It's an urgent call to action. And at Chapter One, we're demonstrating that when businesses, schools and volunteers unite behind young readers, we can create lasting change.

Our 2023-24 Impact Report, underpinned by our refreshed Theory of Change, shows how our innovative blend of technology and human connection is helping close the reading gap for thousands of children facing disadvantage.

Our Theory of Change: Five Key Outcomes for Children

Over 2023-24, we worked with staff, trustees, teachers, volunteers, corporate partners and parents to refresh our Theory of Change - mapping out exactly how our programmes create positive change - as well as comprehensively reviewing the research and evidence base that informs and inspires our work. Our impact data is now organised around five key outcomes for children:

1. Children are better readers

- Children progressed by an average of 3.2 reading levels during the year
- When the programme began, half of the children were not on track to meet reading standards. By the end, three-quarters were meeting or exceeding expectations
- On average, children increased their functional reading skills by 31% over the year

2. Children are more confident in reading

- 87% of teachers reported increased reading confidence
- We saw a 37% increase in children feeling more confident to tackle unfamiliar texts
- Children willing to read aloud improved by 39%

3. Children enjoy reading more

- 85% of teachers saw increased reading enjoyment
- 75% of parents observed their children enjoying reading more

"Every time I do it, it makes me happier and happier" - Year 1 pupil, Doncaster

4. Children are more confident about communicating

- 85% of teachers reported improved communication skills
- Children discussing books rose from 49% to 83%
- Children’s ability and confidence to discuss likes and dislikes about texts increased by 25%
- One-to-one sessions created safe spaces for children to express themselves

5. Children are inspired and more motivated to read

- Children independently choosing new books increased by 29%
- 79% of teachers reported children were more inspired to read

"Now when I say let's have five minutes of quiet reading, he will go and get a book and sit with it" - Teacher

Creating Change at Scale

In 2023-24, we mobilised:

- 2,744 volunteers from 132 corporate partners
- Supporting 2,909 children across 97 schools
- Delivering over 21,000 hours of reading support (that’s 2.4 years’ worth!)
- Creating £358,154 of social value

Looking Ahead

While we're proud of this progress, we know there's more work to do. Our Theory of Change will guide our work in the years ahead, helping us measure our impact and continuously improve how we support children on their reading journey.

In 2024-25, we're working with expert partners to deepen our understanding of how well our programme works and we're also expanding our Early Literacy Intervention Programme and launching new initiatives including a Book Club pilot for older reluctant readers. Together with our schools, corporate partners and volunteers, we're working towards our vision: a world where all children have the literacy skills needed to thrive.

* The United Nations General Assembly has marked 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Although education is a human right,
250 million children and adolescents are out of school and 763 million adults are illiterate, according to UNESCO.

Help us reach more children

We believe that with the right support, at the right time, every child can have the opportunity to thrive. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for new corporate partners and funders to help expand our reach and impact.

If your organisation can help, do get in touch with Sarah Taylor, our Business Development Manager, at sarah.taylor@chapterone.org

If you're a school which is keen to know more about our work, please get in touch with Kathryn Taylor, our Schools Development Manager, at kathryn.taylor@chapterone.org.