Schools Project Manager

Job description

The 2026 National Year of Reading is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the reading culture of the UK, boosting opportunities, supporting wellbeing and growing skills.

Current research shows that only a third of UK children read for pleasure and that patterns of adult reading are dwindling. In response, the Department for Education has commissioned the National Literacy Trust to lead a year-long campaign to engage new audiences and create a new generation of readers. We aim to increase reading levels across the nation, but we’re particularly interested in boosting reading in the early years, amongst low-income parents and for boys aged 10-16. We will mobilise a huge range of organisations and communities to be part of the campaign, and recruit 100,000 volunteers to strengthen the national reading infrastructure.

You will be responsible for co-ordinating the delivery of our schools activation project in support of the campaign, to help embed messaging and provide schools with ways to develop their approach. This will include the overseeing the plan for the design, creation and delivery of resources for all schools nationally – including nurseries, primary and secondary schools. You will also help plan and coordinate professional development activities for teachers (online and in-person), ensuring they align with our wider schools offer.

You will be contracted to our office in London but this role is suitable for home and flexible working, with the majority of your work carried out from home if you would prefer. However, you will need to be available to travel to London for staff and team days, as well as to support project delivery and partnerships. This could be around a day a week on average, although at times it will be a lot less, and unfortunately we are unable to cover travel costs for this.

We’d love it if you had…

As well as being an excellent project manager, you will have experience of event planning/delivery and working with schools, as well as an understanding of the UK education sector. Experience of working in an education setting, and understanding of schools’ needs and challenges, would be an advantage, as would experience of designing or delivering resources and/or professional development for schools.

Employer details

We empower people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Together we're helping people change their stories. You could join us as Schools Project Manager for the National Year of Reading – a Government-backed, once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the reading culture of the UK.