Education Today Education Today Magazine
HarperCollins UK has announced a free Audiobook Breakfast Club trial for primary schools, running until April 2026, as part of its support of the National Year of Reading.
The initiative aims to boost reading for pleasure by providing curated audio story playlists to enrich morning sessions, reduce staff workload, and spark children’s enjoyment of books, and has been shared with schools via the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and Read for Good Networks.
The trial offers schools:
- Curated playlists of short audiobooks from HarperCollins Children’s Books, Farshore, and Barrington Stoke, specifically selected for breakfast club sessions.
- Easy, no-cost access via the Glose platform, ensuring secure streaming for use in school.
- A stress-free enrichment option that helps children settle positively for the school day.
- An opportunity to win free print books for the school library in exchange for brief feedback on pupil engagement.
Regular reading is linked to improvements in attainment, wellbeing, and empathy. With reading for pleasure in long-term decline, this trial will explore whether listening to audiobooks in the morning increases pupils’ interest in stories, motivation to read and overall wellbeing.
HarperCollins UK Consumer Insight Director, Alison David, stated, “Breakfast clubs reach children at a crucial point in the day. By integrating high-quality storytelling into their routine, we can help children discover the joy of reading in an accessible way. This trial reflects our commitment to championing reading for pleasure for children,
during the National Year of Reading 2026 and beyond.”
The initiative reflects HarperCollins UK’s decade-plus leadership in reading for pleasure research and developing practical programmes across schools and communities aimed at reversing the decline in reading for pleasure by embedding reading into existing routines.
