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Funding for books in secondary schools
On 15 September 2026 the DfE announced 5 million pounds for secondary schools to buy books for reading enjoyment. There is no application, English class set texts and GCSE texts are excluded, and orders close on 31 March 2027.
On 15 September 2026 the Department for Education published guidance on 5 million pounds of funding for state-funded secondary schools in England “to purchase books and other reading materials to support reading enjoyment amongst their pupils”. It says the investment is “to align with the National Year of Reading 2026”.
Who gets what
Every state-funded secondary school in England with students in Key Stages 3 and 4 is eligible, including academies, free schools, special schools and alternative provision.
- Allocations are based on the number of students in Key Stages 3 and 4 in the latest school census, weighted by school size and disadvantage. Each school gets at least 450 pounds and at most 1,400 pounds.
- There is no application. From 15 September 2026 schools were sent login details for a dedicated DfE account on the website of the appointed supplier, Browns Books, where they choose titles and formats themselves with no pre-set packages.
What it can buy
The guidance allows books that suit the school’s students, including multiple copies; e-books, audiobooks and digital reading materials; and accessible formats such as large print and braille.
It rules out:
- “English class set texts or GCSE texts”
- core curriculum materials, phonics programmes, reading catch-up resources, textbooks and lesson resources
- titles in foreign languages
- e-readers and tablets
- running costs or staffing, and capital spending such as library furniture
What it means for English departments
Worn copies of a set text are excluded. The allocation can pay for multiple copies of a title for a reading group or form-time reading, audiobooks, and accessible formats for students who need them. There is one allocation per school, so agree with the librarian, or whoever runs the library, what English will ask for.
For context, the National Literacy Trust’s 2026 survey found that 35.0% of 14 to 16-year-olds enjoyed reading in their free time, up from 28.6% in 2025: see Young people’s reading enjoyment in 2026.
What happens next
Access began on 15 September 2026. On 22 September the DfE updated the guidance to say the funding must be spent in the 2026 to 2027 financial year, and the guidance says: “All orders must be placed by 31 March 2027. Any unspent allocation remaining after the end date will be unavailable.” Schools do not have to send routine returns, though the DfE will receive data on uptake from Browns Books and may ask schools for feedback. The wider campaign is covered in 2026, the National Year of Reading.
Sources
- Department for Education, Funding for books and reading materials for secondary schools (15 September 2026, updated 22 September 2026)
- Department for Education, Funding for books and reading materials for secondary schools: guidance for schools (updated 22 September 2026)
- National Literacy Trust, Children and young people’s reading in 2026 (full report) (June 2026)