Jo Curry realised her school’s involvement in BookTrust’s Letterbox Club was reaping rewards when the parent of one year 4 pupil purchased a complete series of books for their child after they received the first instalment in their Letterbox Club parcel.
The pupil’s father also contacted the author by social media, who responded with a birthday message for the young boy.
“He said his child was absolutely loving the books and had convinced him to go out and buy the rest of the set,” Ms Curry explained. “It’s stories like this that make the whole scheme so worthwhile, knowing that the children are engaged and that the parents are involved in their education.”
Windy Arbor Primary School, in Solihull, West Midlands, has been using Letterbox Club for five years. The programme is run by the charity BookTrust and currently reaches about 11,000 pupils aged 3 to 13 across the country from the most disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds.
Participants receive six parcels a year containing expertly curated, age-appropriate reading books, maths games, and stationery – items that their families might not be able to afford to buy for them.
The scheme is funded by the pupils’ schools – at a cost of £157 per-child, per-year for six parcels with schools usually using their Pupil Premium funding. Schools can sign up to Letterbox Club at any time and deliveries will start immediately.
Children love to receive their packages and look forward to them arriving. According to the Letterbox Club Impact Report (2024), 96% of children involved in the scheme like or love Letterbox Club and the impact on reading habits is clear to see.
The report states: “Letterbox Club has a positive impact on children’s reading habits. Children report enjoying reading more, and feeling more confident about it, after receiving Letterbox Club parcels. Many say they read more on their own (72%), or with an adult (47%), due to Letterbox Club.”
Pupils said the scheme brought all sorts of benefits, with one child explaining how their mental health had improved, while another said it had helped them understand what it was like being in foster care.
Each participating school can decide how best to incorporate Letterbox Club into the curriculum. Schools use Letterbox Club to enhance the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy as well as to boost engagement with families.
With the proven positive impact on reading habits, BookTrust has published a guide explaining how the programme can be incorporated into a school’s Pupil Premium strategy.
Letterbox Club at Windy Arbor
At Windy Arbor, Letterbox Club is an integral part of school life for 60 of the school’s least able pupils, across all year groups and key stages. The six sets of parcels each year are paid for from the school’s Pupil Premium allocation.
Ms Curry, who is the school’s acting headteacher, has developed her own way of using the scheme, with a strong emphasis on parental engagement.
“Instead of just giving out the parcels for the pupils to take home, we have a programme which we call Inspire,” she explained.
“Every time we get new parcels we invite in the parents from each group for an hour-long bespoke session. I will have looked at the books and maths content in advance and prepared some tailored activities for the parents and pupils.”
The workshops begin with a discussion and activity around one of the books in the parcel. This might focus on role-play or using voices for intonation and expression.
Ms Curry continued: “We might also look at some vocabulary which the pupils might find challenging or be seeing for the first time, so that when they come to read the book, they have some context. On one occasion we created a café as part of the activity, and on another we used puppets. The pupils loved it.
“We also do a lot of oracy activities, and speaking and listening, but we might also use the maths materials, because this is a subject in which a lot of parents struggle to help their children.”
The introductory session lasts about 15 minutes and then the parents work with their children using the materials in the parcel.
Ms Curry explained: “It’s important for them to see how we teach reading and maths, and hopefully they will take some of those skills home.
“I wanted to do something different. We are in an area of high deprivation and sometimes parents have had a poor experience of school themselves or have low aspirations for their children. Therefore, it is important to encourage them into school and get them to engage with their children’s learning.”
Ms Curry is supported in the workshops by her Letterbox Champions – teaching assistants from each class who attend the sessions to work with the parents and children and to facilitate discussions and activities.
When the children take their parcels home, there is an expectation that parents will continue to support with literacy and maths. Parents are encouraged to report back to the school via the learning platform to describe how they are getting on with the materials, how they are using them, and the progress they can see.
Ms Curry continued: “Because we use Pupil Premium, we need to see something in return. I don’t want those books to be forgotten about and to gather dust under the bed, but to be valued and read – and I expect to see the parents at the workshops.”
For the children, taking their package of goodies home can mean spending quality learning time with their parents or carers – which they might not normally get.
Arwenna Davis, BookTrust’s head of research and impact, said that reading with parents, carers or other family members is an important aspect of the programme: “When the family is sharing stories it can be an important time in the day for a child. Reading helps children to regulate, and it nurtures empathy and the skills they need to connect with others. When this is done with close family members it enhances attachment and trust. The child knows that time is for them, and it is quality time they’re enjoying with their parents or carers.
“Having that time together in a predictable routine can also be very reassuring for those children who experience adversity or vulnerability – it can help them to feel safe and secure.”
For most parents, seeing these benefits – and their child’s enthusiasm – draws them into becoming more engaged with their children’s learning and school life. And at Windy Arbor, Ms Curry has noted some important outcomes. She estimates that around 15% of the children participating in Letterbox Club have improved their attainment up to expected levels.
“These improvements don’t happen immediately and sometimes it can take a couple of years,” she added. “And it’s not always just their reading that improves, but their writing too.”
What advice does Ms Curry have for schools considering taking on Letterbox Club?
“I can think of no better way to spend Pupil Premium funding than Letterbox Club,” she said. “If you have the money then it’s a great way to use it because the pupils love it, and it gets the parents involved."
BookTrust & Letterbox Club
- For further information, and to sign up for Letterbox, go to: www.booktrust.org.uk/letterbox-club
- A guide to implementing Letterbox Club into your Pupil Premium strategy: www.booktrust.org.uk/globalassets/resources/letterbox-club/2024/letterbox-club---pupil-premium-guide.pdf
- Letterbox Club Impact Report for Schools, January 2025: www.booktrust.org.uk/globalassets/resources/letterbox-club/2024/_letterbox-club-impact-report-2024---v2.pdf
Sponsored content: This article has been published by Headteacher Update with sponsorship from BookTrust. It has been written and produced to a brief agreed in advance with BookTrust.