FAQs

Booktime is the national free books programme for reception-aged children in England and Wales, providing a free book pack for children aged 4-5 years to share and enjoy with their family and friends. Booktime aims to promote the pleasure of books by encouraging families to have fun reading together.

In Wales, Booktime is part of Pori Drwy Stori, a new programme for children starting school. Pori Drwy Stori aims to raise standards in the three core areas of learning: Language, Literacy and Communication Skills, Mathematical Development, Personal and Social Development, and Well-Being and Cultural Diversity. The programme is managed by Booktrust Cymru and is funded by the Welsh Government.

Booktime is brought to you by Booktrust, the independent charity empowering people through reading and writing, and Pearson, the world’s leading learning company.

No - Booktime is a charitable programme, and book packs are a free gift from Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, for children to enjoy sharing with family and friends shortly after they first start primary school. The programme is managed by independent charity Booktrust and supported by central government funding.

In England: Book packs will be delivered to over 17,000 primary schools in England over a period of two months. Deliveries of book packs will take place in the autumn term of 2013-14, with the first schools receiving their book packs in September. Schools will receive more details by post and email later in the year.
 
In Wales: Book packs will be delivered to schools in the spring term of 2013-14, with deliveries beginning in February.

Schools do not need to order book packs. Your local authority helps us update school intake figures so that packs can be sent automatically to every primary school with a reception class.

Book packs will be delivered to schools either directly or via local authority central delivery points (usually a local library). Your local authority decides on the best delivery method for book packs in your area.

• Please check the delivery label: bigger schools will receive their book packs in several deliveries. For example, if the label on the box says ‘1 of 3’ and you have only received 1 box, another 2 boxes will be arriving shortly.

• Please make sure your books are being given to the right age group. Booktime book packs are only available for reception-aged children. To ensure the sustainability of the programme, and to make sure every eligible child receives their book pack, we cannot provide packs for other year groups or nursery children.
• If your school has not received the full expected delivery of book packs for every eligible child, please contact the Booktime Helpline to order extra books packs.
  
  

  t: 01279 623 096

  e: booktimehelpline@pearson.com

Booktime book packs are intended for reception-aged children to take home and share with family and friends. Booktime will aim to provide book packs for:

• Every eligible child (4-5-years-old) starting primary school in England and Wales during the school year 2013-14. Children will be in reception class in England and the Foundation Phase in Wales. This includes state, independent, voluntary, private or special needs schools, and covers second and third intakes throughout the school year.
• All eligible children (aged 4-5 years) in England who may not currently be attending mainstream education, such as: Elective Home Educated, Looked After, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children; and those in children’s hospices or attending hospital schools.

• To order packs for children who are not attending mainstream education please use this form.
• To order book pack for children with additional needs please visit our Additional Formats section for more information and an order form.

We have enough book packs for reception-aged children and cannot provide book packs for any other year groups or purposes. This means we cannot provide packs for Nursery or Year 1 children, even if these classes are mixed with reception, or we risk running out of packs.

Schools should receive enough book packs for all the children who are expected to start reception this school year (2013-14).

We ask that teachers store any spare book packs needed for further intakes or for new arrivals during the school year, and give them to new reception children shortly after they first start school.

If you have not received enough book packs for your later intakes, please see the question, 'What do I do if there aren't enough book packs in my delivery?'

Booktime aims to give a free book pack to every eligible child (aged 4-5 years) in England and Wales this school year (2012-13), including children attending independent, voluntary and private schools.

Independent, voluntary and private schools who have already registered with Booktime will continue to receive book packs. To register your school with Booktime for the first time, please send your school name, address and reception intake number for 2013-14 to booktime@booktrust.org.uk.

Booktime promotes the pleasure of books by providing free book packs for all eligible children, including those with additional needs.

We offer a range of additional titles and formats to complement this year’s book packs. To find out about the range of materials available from Booktime on request, please visit our Additional Formats page.