Join us Become a Beanstalk school Primary Schools Real books, real people, real connection... Our Creating Readers programme is delivered in primary schools by trained reading helpers. Outcomes reach beyond reading attainment, with weekly sessions becoming an important part of a child's school life. Reading for pleasure Our approach does not follow a rigid format, sessions are relaxed working one-to-one with each child for up to 30 minutes. Reading helpers have the time to listen and respond to the child, and give them appropriate guidance and space to find reading material that sparks curiosity. Sessions will include a range of activities with books as the star of the show. Reading to the children, engaging them in book talk to share thoughts and value the child's opinions, and playing games that interweave with the text and images. See it in action Reading Helpers Our sessions are delivered by trained volunteers. Before they begin in school, they will have received over 6 hours of live training, including reporting concerns and safer working practice. In addition we meet safer recruitment requirements, which include two satisfactory references, and an enhanced level DBS check.There is no typical reading helper, however, over 80% of our volunteers are over 55, bringing a range of lived experience to their role. The one thing all reading helpers have in common is a desire to help children become readers. Our team is checking suitability throughout their onboarding journey, and we select people who we believe show the motivation and commitment children deserve. Volunteering Our support We aim to make involving our reading helpers in school as easy as possible. Volunteers can need quite a lot of support either when they start off, or if they encounter unfamiliar challenges with the children they are supporting. As well as initial training and vetting, we provide a range of support options for volunteers, including an online portal, a programme of learning sessions, phone support and access to a range of events. If you find things aren't working out with your reading helper, it's our job to sort that, whether it's further training or ending their role, we've got experience of handling this sensitively and professionally. Ongoing support Delivering results Reading outcomes may be the primary reason you choose to work with us, however we're delivering a child-centred service that delivers reading progress across a range of skills, and a broader range of outcomes. Highlights for children include: 95% have an improved attitude to learning 98% show improved confidence and self-esteem 72% improve their attendance* *where this was identified as a concern prior to the programme Our impact Can we work in your school? With all of our support services delivered remotely we can get service up and running anywhere, as long as we can attract suitable volunteers living locally. There's just a few pockets of the country where we don't deliver as we respect other charities on the ground.We will ask you to help spread the word, as well as using our knowledge to strategically raise awareness. We won't make any charge to school until service for children has started, and our charges are low - just £750 per year, for at least 125 sessions. 82% of schools say Creating Readers with us is cost effective. Register your interest "We very much value our relationship with Coram Beanstalk.The reading helpers are brilliant. They build really positive relationships with pupils. They have time for pupils in a way that teachers and teaching assistants don't."Jemima Wade, Headteacher, Argyle Primary School Manage Cookie Preferences