Taking children on voyages as readers and writers since 2011

About us

Literacy Pirates’ vision is for every child to have the literacy skills, confidence and perseverance to succeed at school and beyond. We provide after-school programmes that support children who are falling behind in class and have fewer opportunities than their peers. Our programmes serve children across the UK, via an in person programme in Hackney and an online programme that is growing term-on-term.
 

Schools

We work directly with schools and teachers. Learn more about the programme and register your school here.

Volunteers

Thanks to volunteers we provide small group support for the children on our programmes. Sign up as a volunteer here.

Supporters

Our programmes are funded through charitable donations and grants. Learn more about how you can support this important work. 



Transforming young lives

In 2024, 26% of primary school leavers in England did not meet expected reading standards, according to the Department for Education. Disadvantaged children are disproportionately represented in this cohort. We work directly with schools because they are best placed to know where our support will make a difference. More than 70% of the Young Pirates referred to us are in receipt of Pupil Premium or related socio-economic barriers. 

Since 2011, we have supported over 2,000 children. We track the impact of our programmes using validated metrics which show over 80% of children on the programme achieve significant improvement in literacy, confidence, and perseverance. 

A fast-growing charity, now national in focus, we aim to support over 1,000 children a year by 2027. 


Our partners and supporters

We are an Approved Activity Provider of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award!

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