Competitions and Reading Champions Challenges
As part of our ongoing work to support schools, we run Reading Champions Challenges every term. These challenges are designed to encourage reading for pleasure in schools, as well as developing reading stamina and increasing reading diversity. Read more about our Reading Champions programme.
Our challenges and competitions are open to and completely free for all UK schools.
To be sure you are first to hear about our reading challenges throughout the coming year, sign up for Resources and Training newsletter updates.
Current challenges
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Could your students write persuasively about a positive change they would like to see in their local community? The Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition is back for 2025!Learn more about Wicked Writers: Be the Change.
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Coming in 2025! Enrich your students’ learning with this fantastic STEM reading challenge as our We Wonder series returns.Learn more about We Wonder: Our Blue Planet.
More Reading Champions Challenges
Here you'll find a full collection of our challenges, with all the guidelines and supporting resources that will enable you to run them at any time in your school. While the entry deadline may have passed we encourage you to use the ideas for classroom learning, or you may even choose to award your own certificates or small prizes for an in-school challenge.
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This Autumn, engage your students with the exciting World of Graphic Novels reading challenge and support their book choice, reading for pleasure and literacy skills.Learn more about The World of Graphic Novels.
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Start a journey of discovery with this reading for pleasure picturebook challenge!Learn more about Picture This!.
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Enrich your students’ learning with this fantastic STEM reading challenge as our We Wonder series returns for a third consecutive year.Learn more about We Wonder: Power of Nature Reading Challenge.
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This fantastic and timely reading challenge supports and encourages students as they read, investigate and campaign for a sustainable future.Learn more about We Wonder: Protect Our Planet.
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Lift off with our fascinating and creative STEM reading challenge.Learn more about We Wonder: Mission to Mars.
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Enrich your students’ learning with this fantastic STEM reading challenge as our We Wonder series returns with a space-travel theme.Learn more about We Wonder: Journey into Space reading challenge.
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone celebrates 25 years in print this year and our fun reading challenge with beautiful resources encourages the next generation of readers...Learn more about Miles of Magic Reading Challenge.
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Immerse your students in the oldest of all fairy tales, Beauty and the Beast, exploring key characters and themes within the story.Learn more about Beauty, the Beast and You.
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Join our Reading Tree challenge to promote a reading for pleasure culture in your school and encourage students to share their book recommendations.Learn more about The Reading Tree Challenge.
Seasonal and event-based reading challenges
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It's time! Celebrate Euro 2024 with your whole class and discover lots of popular texts to read along the way. There will be as much fun (and drama!) happening in the classroom...Learn more about Euro 2024 Book Battle Reading Challenge.
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Welcome your students back to school with a fun challenge that encourages reading for pleasure and supports their wellbeing!Learn more about Back to School Reading Zone Challenge.
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We all know The Twelve Days of Christmas but how about the Twelve Days of Reading for Wellbeing? No gold rings, and not even a partridge… but something much better!Learn more about The Twelve Days of Reading for Wellbeing.
Success stories
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Hundreds of students recently took part in our We Wonder: Mission to Mars reading challenge and teachers adapted the guidelines to create a series of seven lessons.Learn more about We Wonder: Mission to Mars reading challenge accomplished by 750 students at Camborne Science and International Academy.
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Holy Trinity Primary School in Dartford recently took part in our Timmy Failure: Crack the Case competition.Learn more about Pupils get inspired to write detective stories with our Timmy Failure competition.
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A class of Year 8 students at Carshalton Boys Sports College took part in our Alex Rider Secret Mission competition, which challenged students to write their own adventure story.Learn more about Alex Rider competition encourages boys to write.
