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 and competitions
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Start the new school year with a reading for pleasure picturebook challenge!Learn more about Picture This!.
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We have partnered with the acclaimed stage musical Wicked to create a schools' writing competition about the environment.Learn more about Wicked Writers: Be the Change.
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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.
Reading Challenges feedback survey
Have you taken part in our Reading Challenges in 2022-2023? Give us your feedback in a short survey and help us shape next year's challenges to offer the best support to you and your students.
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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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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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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Challenge your students to create their own magazine quiz as they discover how magazines are planned, written and published.Learn more about Immediate Magazine Reading Champions Challenge.
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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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Excited about the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023? Join in with our free activities including a reading challenge and an online event featuring Lioness Leah Williamson!Learn more about FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.
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To mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in May, the National Literacy Trust, in partnership with digital bank, Chase, ran a very special...Learn more about The 2023 Children’s Book Celebration.
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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.
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Inspire reading for pleasure with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022! Find free activities for teachers, join our World Cup Reading Challenge and watch our author event.Learn more about World Cup 2022 Reading Challenge.
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.
