In 2016, the EEF launched a five-year campaign to boost literacy levels for pupils in the North East, with a particular focus on those eligible for free school meals. The campaign aims to reach all 880 primary schools in the region.

We have committed £5 million towards this endeavour, match-funded by Northern Rock Foundation.

The campaign has three main strands:

1. Practical guidance: the EEF has published two major guidance reports, Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 and Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2, specifically developed to support this Campaign. They were subsequently mailed to all primary schools in England in May 2017. A third and final guidance report, Preparing for Literacy, focused on the early years, will be published in spring 2018.
2. Local advocacy: we are working with eight advocate-partners in the North East, the first five of which began in September 2016, with the other three beginning to work with schools in summer/​autumn 2017.
3. Programmes support: Five evidence-based literacy projects began delivery in schools in September 2016, with more due to begin in the next year. To date £3.9 million has been committed – most of it on grants, but also including the guidance report, advocacy, and evaluation – to reach around 400 primary schools.