Boy reading by Quentin Blake Nick Sharratt is Up for Reading Toddler reading - by Quentin Blake Nick Sharratt is Up for Reading Quentin Blake illustration Maisy and friends Quentin Blake - cat reading

Up for Reading - for primary schools

Up for Reading is an easy way for primary schools to raise money for a great cause - whilst keeping up to 25% of the money raised for their own funds.

Order your Up for Reading fundraising pack now:
order online | contact us

10 easy steps to success

To get involved in Up for Reading simply
follow our 10 easy steps to success:

  1. Set a week, between now and 31st July 2009 to be your Up for Reading week.
    • You can pick any week you like, although many schools choose to coincide their Up for Reading week with the World Book Day external link icon celebrations in March.
    • There are many other reading events external link icon you could mark using Up for Reading.
    • Or you could simply choose whichever week works best for your nursery.
  2. Order your Up for Reading fundraising pack:
    order online | contact us
  3. Decide how long you would like your children to spend on Up for Reading each day (this can be anything between 5-15 minutes or more) and how you will integrate this within your usual literacy activities.
    How you decide to do this will depend on the children's ages and reading abilities:
    • For younger children, this can be as simple as reading to them for 5 or 10 minutes each day.
    • Children do not have to be able to read to take part in Up for Reading, they can take part simply by listening to books being read to them.
    • You could read to them as a group in class, or alternatively ask them to listen to stories with their parents / carers at home.
    • Older and more able readers could read by themselves (with or without assistance) in the classroom or at home.
    • You might find it useful to refer to these example teaching resources when planning your classroom activities.
  4. Publicise your Up for Reading week in your school newsletter, to let parents and carers of children at your school know about the event. You may want to put up some Up for Reading posters around your school - there are copies in the fundraising pack, or you can download and print extra copies.
  5. At the start of your Up for Reading week:
    • Explain to the children in your school about the Up for Reading event, and that you will be asking them to read or listen to books for a few minutes each day at school or at home.
    • Hand out the sponsorship forms to each child and tell them how many minutes per day you would like them to read during the Up for Reading week - you may need to help them fill in their name and daily time on the sponsorship form so that it is clear.
    • Please explain to the children that they should only approach family and friends for sponsorship - they must never approach strangers for money or go knocking from door to door to collect sponsorship.
  6. Encourage the children in your school to read or listen to books each school day during Up for Reading week. You may like to inform your local TV and newspapers about your fundraising - many of the schools taking part in Up for Reading last year were able to publicise their activities in the local media.
  7. Ask your children to return the sponsorship forms at the end of Up for Reading week along with any money collected.
  8. Collect the sponsorship forms at the end of the week and give each child one of the Up for Reading stickers you will find in your Up for Reading fundraising pack.
  9. Count up and bank the money received. Your school can opt to keep up to 25% of the total raised for your own funds.
    • If you have been dealing directly with Down Syndrome Education International, pass the remaining 75% directly to us by either:
      • paying the amount direct into our bank account - if you'd like to do this, please ask us for a paying-in slip
      • writing a cheque for the amount and sending it to us with the Up for Reading sponsorship forms.
    • If you have been liaising with a local Down syndrome support group during Up for Reading, pass the remaining 75% to them - they can keep up to 25% before passing the remaining 50% to Down Syndrome Education International.
  10. Return the Up for Reading sponsorship forms by post to Down Syndrome Education International so we can enter each child's name into the prize draw.
    11.   It will help if you also send us a list of the children's first and second names.

After the event

When we receive the money raised by children at your school, we will send you a 'thank you' letter confirming the amount you raised, along with a special Up for Reading certificate recognising your achievements.

Anyone raising money also has a chance to win one of the fabulous Up for Reading prizes