BACKGROUND
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead faces notable challenges in literacy and motivation to learn among young students, families, and communities, with data indicating persistent declines exacerbated by post-pandemic effects.
For instance, in 2023/24, only 60% of Key Stage 2 pupils achieved the expected standard in combined reading, writing, and maths, down from the previous year and below pre-2019 levels. Disadvantaged pupils fare worse, with just 30% meeting standards, creating a 36-percentage-point gap compared to non-disadvantaged peers, wider than the national average of 22%.
Writing attainment has specifically declined locally, while national figures rose slightly. Broader community trends reflect reduced motivation, with persistent school absences in primary settings increasing and reading enjoyment among UK children consistently dropping, since 2005.
Family engagement is similarly affected, as lower socioeconomic groups show diminished cognitive stimulation and motivation to read and learn, linked to factors like deprivation and social in-cohesion impacting up to 20% of RBWM families in high-need areas. These issues risk long-term educational inequities, reduced community cohesion, and economic strain on local families and institutions. (1)
1. Figures are drawn from RBWM's Standards and Quality of Education Report (2024/25), Education Data Pack (2023/24), and Children and Young People's Plan (2023), alongside national benchmarks from the Department for Education and National Literacy Trust.
VISION
Based in Bray-on-Thames, on the fringe of the iconic Film Studios, Once Upon a Bus, a mobile education initiative delivering interactive storytelling via a customised double-decker bus, is well positioned to address these challenges through proven, targeted and (eventually) accessible interventions. By blending education with entertainment, our innovative programs foster literacy skills, boost engagement, and build family involvement in both well-resourced and underserved areas
With corporate sponsorship from entities such as, for example: Shanly Homes, Summerleaze, IHG, and/or Amazon MGM [owners of Bray Film Studios, our target sponsor in this speculative instance], the initiative can scale to provide free services, ensuring broad reach without financial barriers for those most in need. For example, partnering could leverage Amazon's plentiful resources to offset local impacts from studio operations, while aligning with their book-selling origins and media expertise, to secure community goodwill and ongoing support as they expand their commercial estate - whilst also addressing a larger societal challenge.
STRATEGIES
Funding from a significant sponsor will enable a multi-faceted approach, starting with needs-based assessments to prioritise disadvantaged schools and communities. Core elements include:
Mobile Interventions for Literacy Boost
Deploy bespoke accessible vehicles equipped with audio-visual tools for on-site sessions, offering 200+ free workshops annually. These immersive storytelling experiences will target early literacy gaps by engaging children aged 0-12 in curriculum-aligned narratives that improve phonics and reading proficiency.
Resource Development and Distribution
Create and freely provide inspiring learning materials, including digital "project kits" and adaptive tools for special educational needs, to schools. This addresses literacy/writing declines and motivation drops, (where daily reading has halved nationally since 2005), by encouraging family use at home. Back to basics!
Educator and Family Training
Deliver no-cost workshops and training to educators and parent/carers in storytelling, scriptwriting, and media production (as appropriate). This builds capacity to sustain motivation, tackling family influences like parental education levels that correlate with children's language engagement. Community outreach events in public spaces could reach 2,000 residents annually, fostering intergenerational learning to mitigate absence-driven disengagement.
Media and Mentoring Expansion
Partnering with Amazon, for example, to co-develop educational media, such as videos and podcasts, drawing on Bray Studios' infrastructure. This extends reach online, addressing broader UK trends of declining reading for pleasure (under 25% in 2024), while establishing mentoring networks for 200+ educators to support long-term skill-building.
BENEFITS
This collaboration yields mutual gains. For RBWM schools and communities, it narrows attainment gaps, enhances motivation, and promotes equity, with measurable outcomes like improved literacy metrics and reduced absences. Families benefit from accessible, engaging resources that strengthen home-school ties, reducing risks in one-parent or deprived households.
For Once Upon a Bus, sponsorship secures funding over multiple years, enabling operational scaling, revenue from paid services elsewhere, and a sustainable model eventually reaching tens of thousands learners annually.
Sponsors gain by mitigating community disruptions, commercial activities, noise/light pollution, traffic or employment shifts, while reinforcing their brand through pro-active literacy initiatives; boosting local support for their ambitions via co-branded events and high profile ongoing PR.
Ultimately, this partnership transforms local literacy challenges into opportunities for growth, creating a sustained and resilient, educated community. By investing in learning, all parties contribute to a shared legacy of local human empowerment - In short, we would love to talk to you, share our story so far, our vision for the future, and our commitment to making our community a better place.
Interested parties are invited to collaborate:
Contact arti@sharmagrey.com or call direct on +44 (0)7912 101 619
