Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to ensure all schools have access to reading books produced in different languages.

The Department knows that all pupils deserve to be taught a knowledge rich curriculum which promotes the extensive reading of books and other kinds of texts both in and out of school. School libraries complement public libraries in allowing pupils to do this.

Pupils should be taught to maintain positive attitudes towards reading and to develop an understanding of what they read by increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from the UK’s literary heritage and books from other cultures and traditions. Teachers have flexibility in which books to teach within the context of the curriculum.

The Autumn Statement 2022 announced that funding for mainstream schools and high needs is £3.5 billion higher in 2023/24 as compared to 2022/23. That is on top of the £4 billion, year on year increase provided in 2022/23, which is an increase of £7.5 billion, or over 15%, in just two years. It is for headteachers to decide how best to manage their budgets, including investment in resources such as library provision and reading books produced in different languages.

The Department also recognises that schools can face additional challenges when they have pupils on roll who have limited or no English language skills. The Department has allocated funding to schools through the English as an additional language (EAL) factor in the National Funding Formula for schools. This funding is based on the number of pupils who are classed as having a first language other than English and who have started in the state funded education system in England in the last three years.

Allocations are made on the basis of data collected through the October school census and equate to an additional £580 per primary school pupil and £1,565 per secondary pupil in the current financial year. Schools have the flexibility to use this funding based on the needs of their pupils, such as by providing reading books produced in community languages.