Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Coram Beanstalk
Volunteers SchoolsDonate
  • Twitter
Menu
  • Get to know us
    • Our story
    • Our impact
    • We are Coram
    • Our people
  • Working with schools
    • Virtual schools
    • Early years
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • School contact form
    • Resources for schools
    • Primary school information
  • Reading at home
    • Book of the month
    • World Book Day books 2026
    • Guidance for parents
    • Activities to use with children
  • Support us
    • Volunteer
      • Our volunteer roles
      • Training and support
      • Apply to volunteer
      • Safeguarding
      • Resources for existing volunteers
    • Leave a legacy
    • Corporate support
    • Challenge events
    • Follow our story
  • Latest stories
    • News
    • Blogs
    • Latest feedback
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Working with schools
  1. Join us
  2. Become a Beanstalk school

Working with schools

We enable children to grow a love for reading - in turn improving their confidence and well-being, and their attainment across the curriculum. Over the past 50 years, we have developed our expertise in making this happen.

We provide one-to-one, in-person reading support for primary schools to help your school encourage reading for pleasure among your pupils and improve reading attainment. We also deliver training courses for secondary school pupils, known as our Reading Leaders programme – young people supporting young people with inspiring results. We can also provide high quality, impactful specialist training for early years settings, parents and carers, and for corporate groups to enable you to grow your own reading community.

Primary

Deputy Headteacher experience

Watch here

Secondary

Staff and student experiences

Watch here

Coram Beanstalk provides our school with expertly trained volunteers who engage pupils in reading for pleasure activities. It is highly valued by both staff and pupils in motivating children to read and exposes them to a wider range of genres in a safe and non-academically focused session. 

Deputy Headteacher, Dovedale Community Primary School

Virtual schools

Virtual schools

As part of the Coram family we know that Looked after Children and Children in Need benefit from the consistent, nurturing nature of our service. Find out how we can work with your Virtual School here. Read more

Published: 15th August, 2025

Updated: 20th February, 2026

Author: Roberta Ribeiro

Early years

Early years

Our early years programmes focus on supporting the people in a child's daily life to feel more confident to share books in a way to develop language and emergent literacy skills. Find out what we offer here. Read more

Published: 14th August, 2025

Updated: 25th October, 2025

Author: Roberta Ribeiro

Primary Schools

Primary Schools

We bring over 50 years of experience into our Creating Readers programme for primary schools. With only 1 in 3 children saying they enjoy reading in their spare time* we make reading for pleasure our primary focus. Find out more here. Read more

Published: 13th August, 2025

Updated: 25th October, 2025

Author: Roberta Ribeiro

Secondary

Secondary

Unlock the hidden capacity within your school by training older students to become reading mentors with Reading Leaders, our proven dual benefit programme. Read more

Published: 12th August, 2025

Updated: 4th December, 2025

Author: Roberta Ribeiro

Resources for schools

Resources for schools

Coram Beanstalk resources, created especially for schools to encourage reading for pleasure. You'll find everything from downloadable reading activities to a whole school assembly to spark a reading buzz in your school here... Read more

Published: 16th October, 2024

Updated: 18th February, 2026

Author: Kate- Loynes

Primary school information

Primary school information

If you find yourself as our key contact in school you will find everything you need here to help get the very most out of our service. There's information for staff and you including how to choose the children and liaising with volunteers. Read more

Published: 1st October, 2024

Updated: 23rd December, 2025

Author: Kate- Loynes

Back to top

Latest

  • June 2026

    June 2026

    This month, we’re hosting our next Virtual Author Event for Coram Beanstalk schools with award‑winning author Ben Davis! We’ve chosen his latest book, Postman Planet, as our Book of the Month for June and we've found a range of other Beanstalk Brilliant books featuring post or letters for you to explore...

  • Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE

    Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE

    Michael joined Coram Beanstalk as an Ambassador in November 2017 and continues to be an advocate for our work creating readers for pleasure.

  • Liz Pichon

    Liz Pichon

    Hugely popular author and illustrator, Liz Pichon, is best known for her award-winning series Tom Gates and became a Coram Beanstalk Ambassador in 2017.

  • May 2026

    May 2026

    This month Coram Beanstalk has collaborated with the Federation of Children's Book Groups (FCBG) to celebrate National Share a Story Month (NSSM). Our chosen Book of the Month from the FCBG curated list of books for NSSM is 'I am Rebel' by our author supporter, and past reading helper, Ross Montgomery. Read more...

Most read

  • Apply to volunteer

    Apply to volunteer

    Ready to take the first step to becoming a reading helper? Check that you can meet some basic practicalities and fill in our application form here.

  • Frequently asked questions

    Frequently asked questions

    You may have some questions in your mind before you fill in your application form. Here are answers to our most commonly asked questions. If your question isn't answered here you can find out how to get in touch with our team.

  • Where we work

    Where we work

    Coram Beanstalk offers different programmes across the UK. Find out where we work here.

  • The benefits of being a reading helper

    The benefits of being a reading helper

    We know from our volunteers that being a reading helper brings purpose and enjoyment into their lives. Find out more about the benefits of being part of our reading community here.

  • Our approach

    Our approach

    Find out more about how we work and our approach to reading support.

  • Thank you for applying to be a Coram Beanstalk reading helper

  • Literacy charities join forces

    Literacy charities join forces

    On 1st November 2017 Reading Matters merged with the national children’s literacy charity Beanstalk.

  • Current vacancies

    Current vacancies

    Click here to view our current vacancies.

  • Volunteer agreement

    Volunteer agreement

    Our volunteers represent the charity in the partner schools that we work with. It is a formal role with commitments and expectations from us and you. These are set out in our volunteer agreement and role description here.

  • Training and support

    Training and support

    We know our approach to reading works and love to share this with our volunteers to help them start sessions with confidence, and continue to learn as they get to know the children. Find out how here.

  • Follow our story

  • Become part of a community passionate about reading for pleasure and wellbeing and keep up to date with everything we’re working on.

Useful links

  • Terms & conditions 
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Compliments and complaints policy
  • Reporting a safeguarding issue
  • Accessibility
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap

Volunteer portal

  • Click on the button below to log in to our volunteer portal

  • Volunteer portal

Follow us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram

Copyright © 2026 Coram Beanstalk. Coram Beanstalk,
Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ.

  • Coram Beanstalk is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

  • Registered Charity No. 296454 (England and Wales).

  • Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No. 2101719.

  • All images are from Coram Beanstalk’s stock image library and are for representation only.

  • Names in case studies have been changed to protect identities. All rights reserved.

Coram Beanstalk is proud to be a lead delivery partner for The National Year of Reading 2026! 
Manage Cookie Preferences