On 1 July 2026, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and award-winning authors Cressida Cowell and Tọlá Okogwu joined more than 400 excited pupils in south east London to open St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School’s brand-new library – the first as part of the government’s funding commitment to guarantee a library for all state primary schools in England by the end of this parliament.
This three-year initiative will mark phase two of our Libraries for Primaries campaign, which we co-founded with Penguin Books in 2021.
Phase one of the campaign – which has been supported by funding partners including Arts Council England and The Julia Rausing Trust - has transformed the library spaces of almost 2,000 primary schools across the UK, supported nearly 600,000 pupils to discover a love of reading and trained 3,690 teachers to embed reading for pleasure cultures in their schools.
Libraries for Primaries was developed in line with our research which shows that:
- School libraries have a positive impact on children’s educational, social and emotional development
- Yet 1 in 9 primary schools in England does not have a library
- This rises to 1 in 4 primary schools in disadvantaged communities
This initiative will be key to delivering the National Year of Reading 2026's ambition to support every child to develop a life-long love of reading.
Having first announced the government’s commitment to universal primary school library provision in England last September, Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School’s new library this morning alongside Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
The government’s commitment is part of its Every Child Can programme, which is funded by the Dormant Assets Scheme and distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.
“Too many children, especially those growing up in disadvantaged communities, don't have access to a school library. That's not good enough. I guaranteed every state primary school in England would have a library by the end of this parliament. Seeing the first open today is a proud moment. Every child, whatever their background, deserves the chance to discover a love of reading and the opportunities that come with it."
Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer
"A great library can be truly transformative. Libraries are where curiosity takes root and a lifelong love of reading begins. This Government is clear - every child, regardless of their background or postcode, deserves access to experiences and activities that enrich their lives. This programme is a vital part of our commitment to making that a reality for every primary school pupil in England."
Lisa Nandy, Culture Secretary
St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School’s new library has been transformed by teachers and volunteers into a vibrant and welcoming space and is now home to more than 500 high-quality and diverse books, comics and audiobooks connected to pupils’ backgrounds, experiences and interests.
Ministers heard first-hand from pupils, Learning Support Assistants and the school’s headteacher about the difference the new library, as well as training, resources and long-term support for teachers, will make to the whole-school community.
“The visit today is going to inspire a generation of children at St Thomas Becket because of the inspiring authors, amazing workshops and fantastic news books that we have in our library, which is such a welcoming space to relax and enjoy the written word."
Diarmuid Skehan, Headteacher, St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School
Award-winning children’s authors Cressida Cowell and Tọlá Okogwu delivered a series of exciting activities to spark pupils’ love of reading.
Tọlá Okogwu, delivered an assembly for key stage 2 pupils based on her latest title, Bim Blake’s Hot Takes, and Cressida Cowell took pupils on an epic How To Train Your Dragon journey with an exciting assembly for key stage 2 pupils and an inspiring talk and drawing demonstration for year 4 pupils.
Prior to the event, every pupil in the school took part in a ‘Design a dragon’ competition, which Cressida Cowell judged on the day and awarded the winning pupil from each year group with a signed copy of one of her books.
“Reading opens-up a world of new possibilities for children. When children enjoy reading, their happiness, creativity and learning flourish. And the more a child reads, the greater the benefits. These benefits should be available for every child in the country, and that’s where school libraries come in – they are where the magic happens! It fills me with immense pride that, after a decade of campaigning, every child in the country will soon have the opportunity to discover a transformative love of reading through their primary school library.”
Cressida Cowell, award-winning children's author and Children's Laureate (2019-2022)
During the visit, Rachel Reeves and Lisa Nandy met key partners to discuss the importance of primary school libraries for children’s life chances, what the first phase of the Libraries for Primaries campaign has achieved to date, and ambitions for the second phase.
The senior Ministers also met key local figures who have played an important role in supporting the school community, including Natasha Irons MP and Councillor Amy Foster.
“We are proud to be partnering with the government to supercharge efforts to give more children and young people new opportunities to unlock the unrivalled benefits of reading for their futures, and truly cement reading for pleasure as a national priority in the National Year of Reading – and beyond."
Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive, National Literacy Trust
We are inviting all eligible state primary schools in England to apply take part in the government-backed Libraries for Primaries programme for the 2026/27 academic year.
Outside of the government-backed programme, Libraries for Primaries is also open to applications from state primary schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We have published a Q&A for teachers to find out more about the Libraries for Primaries programme.