FAQs
All your questions answered about the IBC Book Box scheme for state primary schools below.
Who can apply on behalf of your school?
Any member of staff can apply, but they must have the endorsement of the headteacher.
How will I know if my application is successful?
We will email the nominated contact at your school to organise the delivery of your IBC Book Box by the end of September. Unsuccessful applicants will also receive an email with links to their free resources by end of September.
What books will be in the box?
Each Book Box will contain 100 free books reviewed, rated and curated by our expert IBC reviewers, and the titles will be suitable for children aged 2 to 12 years old.
The collection will contain mainly fiction, with a fantastic selection of inclusive children’s board books, picture books, chapter books and/or anthologies. We will endeavour to select texts that match your school’s requirements as best we can.
How much input is required from Book Box recipients?
Successful applicants are required to:
- view a series of short videos on using inclusive children’s books in school
- share photos and/or videos highlighting the positive impact of the IBC Book Box within their settings
- complete a short impact-measurement questionnaire
How can I maximise my chances of success?
We are keen to support schools who can show how the books will make a real difference to their pupils and wider reading culture.
Your response to the following question in the application form is an important opportunity to tell us more about your school, your pupils and how the books would be used:
In no more than 250 words, please explain why you would you like to receive an IBC Book Box, and how you would use the books with your students.
Please note: AI-generated applications will not be considered. We would rather receive applications that show us how much an IBC Book Box would mean to your school and how you’d use the books, than the ‘perfect’ answer on why inclusive books are important.
We’re not a state school, can we apply?
No, we’re afraid you cannot apply for this particular scheme.
We don’t have a school library, can we apply?
Absolutely! Your class reading corners, bookshelves, book trollies and learning resource rooms all count. We aspire to a world in which a sample of children’s books from any place, including your whole school’s book collection, reflects the diversity of our society.
The fine print
- Book Boxes may be divided into smaller collections to distribute to particularly small settings or those catering to a narrow age range.
- We wil aim to deliver most Book Boxes in the autumn term, in September or October, dependent on supply. A small number of boxes will be delivered during the following term.
- IBC reserves the right to run additional rounds of applications or to not distribute the full number of boxes if an insufficient number of high-callibre applications are received.
Need more info?
If you can’t find the answer you need above, please email sophie@inclusivebooksforchildren.org.
Learn more about the inclusive children’s books reviewed by IBC via our homepage.