London schools commissioner Tim Brighouse reckons leaders in any field need to catch up with reception children by prioritising reading, writing, speaking and listening. “Reading is the first to go; people quickly decide they are too busy to read anything unconnected with work,” he said at the launch of the School Libraries: making a difference report at Mount Carmel high school in the London borough of Islington.

Three library organisations - the School Library Association, the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals - are behind Making a Difference, which launches a campaign to show the benefits of well-resourced school libraries and learning resources centres with trained staff. The report - with a funky Lauren Child cover - should have reached schools by now, and can be downloaded from www.schoollibrariesadvocacy.org.uk.