School reform minister Nick Gibb has announced a new action plan that will “inspire” thousands more primary school children to read.

Speaking on World Book Day (March 5th), the MP said that the new scheme will go a long way in transforming reading standards.

Possessing the appropriate reading skills - and from an early age - is vital in ensuring that young people get the best start to education, as well as the world of work in later life.

Latest figures show that the government has already had a positive impact. For example, a record number (89 per cent) of primary school children achieved the expected standard of reading at age 11 (Key Stage 2).

However, there is still a lot to be done, the Department for Education noted, as one in five children will still enter secondary school unable to read at a suitable level, which runs the risk of holding them back.

The action plan includes setting up a programme to assist over 200 primary schools that are failing to consistently and comprehensively ensure all their pupils achieve Key Stage 2 in reading.

This will involve setting up book clubs and signing youngsters up to libraries, to “develop a love of literature” from an early age. Doing this from primary school increases the chances of people continuing to read throughout their life.

“Poor reading can hold people back throughout their adult lives, preventing them from achieving their full potential,” Mr Gibb said. “Our plan for education is focused on ensuring all children leave primary school with a good grasp of literacy and develop a love of reading.

“This approach is working: the proportion of six-year-olds achieving the expected standards in the phonics screening check has risen from 58 per cent to 74 per cent between 2012 and 2014.”