Chancellor Makes Commitment to Universal Primary School Libraries

At this year’s Labour Party Conference, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a government funding commitment to ensure that every state primary school in England will have a library by the end of this parliament (2029).

The announcement is a significant success in the Libraries for Primaries campaign, launched by the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Books in 2021 which was set up to address the lack of investment in UK primary school libraries.

The announcement marks a significant milestone in the Libraries for Primaries campaign, which was co-founded by the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Books in 2021 and has brought together authors, illustrators and more than 60 cross-sector partners – including publishers, businesses, libraries, charities, trusts and foundations – to address the lack of investment in UK primary school libraries.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said, ‘When I was at school, they turned our library into a classroom because there were more students than there was space, and I saw first-hand the negative impact that had. Now we are ensuring every primary school has a library, giving kids the chance to learn, grow, explore their interests and find quiet space to study.

‘Through our Plan for Change it is our mission to give every child the best start in life, regardless of their background or where they’re from. This announcement is a key milestone in achieving that.’

The announcement came in the lead-up to the National Year of Reading 2026, a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, that aims to tackle the reported steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults by empowering more people to see reading as a personally meaningful, modern and social activity, using reading as a tool to pursue their interests, express themselves and participate fully in life.

Children’s Laureate (2019-2022) Cressida Cowell said, ‘I am absolutely thrilled with the government’s commitment to put a library in every primary school in England. In just a few years, the Libraries for Primaries campaign has introduced a reading for pleasure culture to 1,500 primary schools, which is incredible, especially since we know that 1 in 7 schools in the UK doesn’t have a dedicated library space and only 1 in 3 children enjoy reading. This work is urgent, important and, thanks to everyone who is championing it – authors, publishers, businesses, the third sector and now the government –the possibilities for children and their futures are endless.’

The press release from the National Literacy Trust did not include details of funding, but the Libraries for Primaries Campaign includes an estimate that it would cost approximately £17.5 million to reach all 1900 UK primary schools without provision, and around £14 million to reach all primary schools in England.

To date, the Libraries for Primaries campaign has been driven by the generous support of the publishing sector, private sector funders, trusts and foundations, partners including Arts Council England, Bloomberg, Foyle Foundation, Oxford University Press, The Portal Trust, The Unwin Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, and 30 supporting organisations.

In an exclusive report, The Guardian reports that the scheme will be funded from £132.5m of dormant assets. While there is no mention of trained librarians in the new libraries, to date, the Libraries for Primaries campaign has trained 3,000 teachers and support staff to run their school libraries and ‘deliver activities to inspire a love of reading for the whole school’.