Celebrating the 2024 National Read-Aloud Challenge Awards Ceremony
“Fonetti clearly helps children learn to read. The joy on children’s faces as they achieve reading fluency is palpable. The second NRAC was inspirational – I hope this annual challenge grows and involves tens of thousands of children next year.”
Reflecting on the 2024 National Read-Aloud Challenge Awards
A week has passed since the incredible 2024 National Read-Aloud Challenge (NRAC) Awards Ceremony, but the joy and excitement from the event are still fresh in our minds. Held on Thursday, 16th January 2025, at the Amazon UK Headquarters in London, this year's ceremony brought together an inspiring mix of attendees. From bright-eyed children and dedicated teachers to Fonetti employees, challenge sponsors, ambassadors, and leaders across the education and EdTech spaces, the day was truly a celebration of community, learning, and the power of reading aloud.
In this blog, we’ll take you through every unforgettable moment of the day, sharing highlights and reflections on what made the event so special.
Arrivals: A Warm Welcome
Guests began arriving at midday, travelling from all corners of the UK. Whether it was a quick hop on the Tube or a journey involving planes and ferries, every guest was greeted with a warm welcome at Amazon UK Headquarters.
A beautiful lunch spread awaited them in the main function room, setting the tone for a day filled with connection and celebration. Conversations buzzed as attendees networked, shared stories, and bonded over their shared passion for children’s literacy. The atmosphere was electric, filled with anticipation for the events to come.
A Magical Book Reading Session
The first major event of the day was the ever-popular author reading session. Hosted by the charismatic Arti Halai—communication coach and former ITV news presenter—the session brought storytelling to life for the children. Five incredible readers, from diverse backgrounds, took to the stage to share their favourite books and answer the children’s questions.
Here’s a quick recap of the readers and their captivating choices:
Martin Roberts, renowned TV presenter and author of The Villes series, enchanted the audience with a chapter from his book Sadsville, available on the Fonetti app.
Rosemary Goodenough, celebrated artist and author of Hooray-Hooray-Horatio the Jolly Hedgehog, delighted the children with her story Hooray-Hooray-Horatio the Jolly Hedgehog Dreams About London.
Lewis Bronze MBE, Fonetti’s Education Ambassador and former Blue Peter editor, shared a chapter from a beloved children’s classic.
Bonnie, a talented student from Riverdale Primary School in Northern Ireland, brought Sadsville to life with her confident reading.
Scott, an enthusiastic student from Widmer End Community Combined School, charmed the audience with The Gingerbread Man, a Fonetti favourite.
The session was a heartwarming reminder of the power of stories to inspire, educate, and bring people together. Seeing the children’s reactions and their engagement during the Q&A was a highlight for everyone present.
The Awards Ceremony: A Celebration of Achievement
By 2:30 PM, the stage was set for the main event of the day: the National Read Aloud Challenge Awards Ceremony.
Hosted by the wonderful Clare Balding CBE—renowned TV presenter and Fonetti Brand Ambassador—the ceremony celebrated the incredible achievements of schools across the UK. As Clare interviewed the winning pupils, laughter filled the room. The children’s joy and their priceless, often hilarious responses were once again the heart of the ceremony!
Here’s a full list of the 2024 National Read-Aloud Challenge winners:
East of England: Forest Academy
East Midlands: Ibstock Junior School
London: St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School
North East: Bede Academy
North West: St Catherine’s CE Primary
Northern Ireland: Riverdale Primary School
Scotland: Kyleakin Primary
South East: Widmer End Community Combined School
South West: Oakwood Primary Academy
Wales: Bryncelynnog Comprehensive School
West Midlands: Ferndale Primary School
Yorkshire/Humber: Copmanthorpe Primary School
Multi Academy Trust: Excalibur Academies Trust
Small Schools Award: Ogbourne CofE Primary School
National Winners: St Catherine’s CE Primary
During the ceremony, speeches from key Fonetti team members highlighted the importance of the challenge:
Lewis Bronze MBE, reflected on his lifelong dedication to promoting children’s education. He also spoke passionately about how reading aloud builds confidence and transforms children’s learning journeys. He reminded us of the millions of children still struggling with literacy and how Fonetti’s instant feedback feature empowers them to overcome these challenges.
Vicki Edgar, Fonetti’s Education Manager, shared inspiring stories of students who’ve thrived through the challenge. One standout story was of a student at Ibstock Junior School who improved their reading accuracy by five months, comprehension by over two years, and reading rate by an astonishing three years—all thanks to Fonetti! Vicki also reflected on her personal journey with dyslexia and how it fuels her passion for helping children discover the joy of reading.
Kim Antoniou, Fonetti’s Founder and CEO, shared the inspiration behind the National Read-Aloud Challenge. Motivated by the alarming statistic that roughly one in four children miss their reading targets each year and a belief in the potential of technology to combat summer reading regression, Kim launched the initiative. She also highlighted the remarkable growth of the challenge, which expanded from 4,000 to 10,000 participants in just one year. Looking ahead, Kim expressed her ambition to surpass 50,000 participants next summer through continued collaboration with sponsors, partners, and educators.
A Sweet Finale: Cakes, Networking, and Tours
After the ceremony, guests returned to the main function room to enjoy a delightful selection of cakes, teas, and coffees. The atmosphere was relaxed, yet filled with excitement as attendees mingled and reflected on the day’s events.
Meanwhile, Amazon staff offered children guided tours of the UK headquarters. For many students, especially those from smaller towns, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the workings of a global organisation. Their wide-eyed curiosity and thoughtful questions made the tours memorable for everyone involved.
Drinks Reception at the Light Bar
As schools began to leave around 5 PM, the remaining guests moved across the street to the Light Bar London for an exclusive drinks reception. Held in the cosy Backyard Rum Lodge, the gathering provided a perfect setting for further networking and celebrations. Conversations flowed as guests shared their thoughts on the day and their excitement for the future of the National Read-Aloud Challenge.
Looking Back and Ahead
The 2024 National Read-Aloud Challenge was a resounding success, with over 10,000 children participating from 560 schools across the UK. Together, they completed more than 13,000 hours of reading over 185,000 sessions on the Fonetti app.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to every single child who participated in this year's challenge. We thoroughly hope you enjoyed taking part in the 2024 edition of this challenge and a massive congratulations to this year's winning schools. We hope to see you again for the 2025 National Read-Aloud Challenge starting in June!
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re inspired by the passion and commitment shown by everyone involved. Here’s to another year of fostering a love for reading and empowering children to achieve their full potential!
A Few More Thank You’s!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended this year’s awards ceremony – your support made it truly special!
We are especially grateful to Clare Balding and Arti Halai for their fantastic hosting and for leading such an inspiring reading session.
A huge thank you to Martin Roberts, Lewis Bronze, Rosemary Goodenough, Scott, and Bonnie for their captivating readings, which added so much magic to the event.
Our deepest thanks to the team at Amazon for once again hosting this fabulous event – your continued support means the world to us.
To the wider Fonetti team, we applaud your incredible dedication and hard work in organising this year’s National Read Aloud Challenge and awards ceremony.
Lastly, this year’s challenge and awards ceremony wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing sponsors and partners. Thank you for believing in this initiative and helping us bring it to life – we are deeply grateful!
LEAP
1Decision
Blue Cow Education
Cornerstones Education
GEC
Headerteacher Chat
Kids Active Media
Sensations English
Swoperz
TextHelp
SENsible SENco
TeacherTapp
Totally Branded
SQS
Wensum English Hub
Winning with Numbers
Wonde
YPO
Linky Thinks
