Peterborough Reads

Peterborough banner

The National Literacy Trust Hub in Peterborough is branded the Peterborough Literacy Campaign. A range of partners work together to promote reading and writing, and improve literacy levels in the city.

The campaign focuses on ensuring children are ready to start school and improving the transition between primary and secondary school to improve pupils’ literacy. 

Get involved

  • Parents and carers

    Tips and activities to help you support your child’s literacy skills at all ages.

    Visit Words for Life. 

  • Schools and settings
    Contact us to find out how your school or setting can get involved.

    Email Sally Atkinson. 


  • Business

    Use your business’ resources, reach and local knowledge to make a real impact.

    Pledge your support. 

Highlights to date

Meet and eat 2Boosting school readiness
A pilot project in partnership with Peterborough’s Barnardo’s children’s centres and a primary school to develop school readiness in early years children has resulted in 50% children making significant progress and 100% of parents maintaining their engagement with the school.

Working with Vivacity
We partner with Peterborough’s library and cultural trust, Vivacity to strengthen their community and learning programmes’ links to the English curriculum. Through aligning their events and resources to the specific needs of literacy coordinators and teachers, we have successfully enhanced the local museums’ literacy offer to schools.

Improving reading attitudes
Partnerships with local events, author visits, a programme to support primary school pupils’ transition into secondary school, a ‘pop-up literacy shop’ and competitions and campaigns to drive awareness of the importance of literacy skills has helped the number of KS2 pupils who enjoy reading in Peterborough increase by 23.4% between 2014 and 2015, rising from 59.8% in 2014 to 73.8% in 2015. 


Key partners