If you have some time to spare, a good grasp of written English and if you enjoy spending time with children, you could become a Schoolreader. Our volunteers are drawn from all walks of life, and range in age from 18+. Schoolreaders need volunteers to go into local primary schools in Birmingham during the school day to listen to the children read to them 1:1. The volunteer needs to be able to commit to once a week during term time for one hour or more.

We do not ask for any particular qualifications, but Schoolreaders need to enjoy spending time with children, have a good grasp of written and spoken English and be able to commit to attend school weekly during term time for a minimum of 1 year.

Schoolreaders is a free service for primary schools and all our volunteers give their time freely.

We regret we cannot reimburse expenses so try to match volunteers with schools as local as possible.

Each potential volunteer completes an application form online or by post and agrees to the Schoolreaders code of conduct. The partner school who the volunteer is paired with completes an enhanced DBS check at the school's expense. The school provide guidance and training specific to their school and your activities.

Each school uses our volunteers differently, so some volunteers see the same few children each week, while others get to spend time with every member of the class over a term.