Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Written evidence submitted by The Reading Agency (CWSB237)

Call for Evidence re Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Dear Committee Clerk,

In terms of current DfE activity, The Reading Agency has provided a full response to the Curriculum Review and on the whole feels that the Wellbeing and Schools Bill is outside of our remit and area of expertise. However, there is one aspect that we would like to provide comment on, as below.

The Reading Agency is a national charity working every day towards a world where everyone is reading their way to a better life – from toddlers to children to young adults, prisoners and older people – irrespective of age or economic background. We advocate that reading can tackle life's big challenges, from social mobility to mental health.

Our work with primary school children centres on our annual Summer Reading Challenge, a library-based, fun, multi-book challenge designed to improve reading engagement (reading for pleasure), support reading skills and improve the short and longer-term wellbeing of our children. Research tells us that reading for enjoyment has positive impact on mental wellbeing and independent evaluation of our programme has found that the Summer Reading Challenge increases participants’ wellbeing.

As an evidence-based organisation, The Reading Agency strongly advocates that the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill contains a provision for a universal wellbeing measurement. This will enable meaningful evaluation of the effectiveness of measures set out in the Bill in bringing about positive change for the UK’s children and young people who, as you know, have the lowest wellbeing in Europe.

We join others in calling for better and more comprehensive data to understand the state of wellbeing among the UK’s children and young people and what is driving it, enabling us all to find the right solutions. We agree with Pro Bono Economics in their assertion that "measuring the wellbeing of all children and young people regularly and in the right way would allow better decision-making and targeting of support by national policymakers."

The Reading Agency is happy to share our own research and evaluation data on wellbeing as it relates to our reading programmes for young people and to answer any other questions the Committee might have on this aspect.

Kind regards,

Amanda Thain

Public Affairs

February 2025