Literacy: A thematic collaboration of the Fair Education Alliance
Why literacy matters
Improving literacy outcomes is critical to ensuring all children and young people build the skills they need to unlock learning, participate fully in society, and thrive in life. .
There is a significant and persistent reading gap in England. Just 64% of children from low-income households meet the expected standard for reading at Key Stage 2, compared to 80% of their peers. Addressing this inequality matters not only in its own right, but because literacy is foundational to accessing learning, building confidence and engaging with the world around us.
When children struggle to read, disadvantage compounds over time – affecting attainment, confidence, wellbeing and future pathways. Literacy, therefore, cuts across all the Fair Education Alliance’s Impact Goals, and is particularly central to:
Impact Goal 1 – Early Childhood, where early language and communication lay the foundations for learning
Impact Goal 2 – Academic Attainment, where we specifically track literacy attainment in primary and secondary school
Impact Goal 5 – Post-16 Pathways, where literacy shapes access to further education, training and employment
Strengthening literacy is essential to our Neighbourhood to National strategy, supporting a cradle-to-career approach that connects early intervention, school-age learning and post-16 progression.
To explore the evidence and policy recommendations behind this work, read the Fair Education Alliance’s 2025 Report Card.
How we are approaching it
Despite decades of effort, work to tackle literacy inequalities remains fragmented. Many organisations share the same ambition, but too often operate in siloes – limiting what we can achieve together.
Through this thematic collaboration, the Fair Education Alliance brings organisations together to work collaboratively to reduce the literacy gap. We support this by convening partners, facilitating shared learning and helping organisations coordinate their efforts so they can achieve more together than they could alone.
The Literacy Link
At the heart of this work is the Literacy Link – a growing, member-led network of literacy charities and organisations focused on improving reading engagement, particularly among children and young people from low-income households.
The Fair Education Alliance acts as the secretariat for the Literacy Link, supporting collaboration the network by organising convenings, facilitating collaboration and creating opportunities for shared learning. The network is guided by a steering group of FEA members and is focused on:
Working collaboratively across organisations to increase effectiveness/ andimpact
Sharing learning, evidence and evaluation to strengthen what works
Speaking with a stronger collective voice to raise awareness of the literacy gap and the solutions needed to address it
By creating the conditions for trust-based collaboration, the Literacy Link helps organisations move from connection to coordinated action.
National Year of Reading 2026
In 2026, this work will be centred around the National Year of Reading.
We are mobilising Fair Education Alliance members – across literacy, early childhood and beyond – to make the most of this national moment to improve literacy outcomes for children and young people in 2026 and beyond.
This includes:
Supporting inclusive approaches to reading and literacy
Amplifying member insight, learning and impact
Embedding literacy across FEA communications, advocacy and policy work
What is the National Year of Reading?
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK-wide campaign encouraging people to rediscover the joy and benefits of reading.
Delivered by partners across the literacy sector and supported by the Department for Education, the campaign aims to reconnect reading with everyday life and culture - from music and sport to food, film and family time. Through events, partnerships and community activity across the country, the campaign invites everyone to “Go All In” and explore how reading in all its forms can deepen the things they already love.
Watch the campaign video to find out more.
What’s happened so far
Since launching in 2024, the Literacy Link has grown rapidly and built strong momentum.
So far, this has included:
The establishment of the Literacy Link as a formal member collaboration with sub-groups focused on collective advocacy, collective impact and events and communications
Literacy-focused sessions and discussions at Fair Education Alliance events
An Annual Gathering in April 2025 to share best practice and build connections
In-person and online events to catalyse collaborative partnerships among members
Growing engagement from organisations working across early years, schools and youth sectors
Collaboration to shape priorities for the National Year of Reading
Joint submission into the Education Select Committee’s Reading for Pleasure Inquiry
What’s next – and how to get involved
Literacy will remain a key focus of our Collective Action work throughout 2026 and beyond.
Coming up:
Further Literacy Link convenings and collaboration sessions
Member-led activity aligned to the National Year of Reading
Opportunities to contribute learning, evidence and insight
Policy-relevant advocacy shaped by frontline experience
Get involved:
Join the Literacy Link as a Fair Education Alliance member
Share your work, learning or evaluation
Take part in events, roundtables and collaborative projects
Help shape collective advocacy on literacy
Join the Literacy Link
If you are an FEA member, register your interest here
If you are a non-member literacy charity, register your interest here