![The Knowledge Schools Trust, based at the West London Free School Primary in Hammersmith, is supporting 24 partner schools.](/media/1axleotu/2u0a0170.jpg?width=1002&height=668&bgcolor=White&v=1da6136bbb9dfa0)
English Hubs were first announced in 2018 as part of the Government's commitment to raise literacy standards and ensure that all children can read fluently and with understanding.
The flagship 34 hub schools, chosen for their ‘excellent’ phonics teaching and their proximity to areas of high need, focused on supporting disadvantaged children in Reception and Year 1 that were slower to progress in reading than their peers.
Five years on and their remit remains broadly the same, but with children's reading attainment dipping to below 2018 levels, the disadvantage gap continuing to widen post-pandemic, and strong evidence for the benefits of early reading intervention to improve children's life chances, the Government has committed a further £24 million to widen the scope of schools eligible to apply for funding through its new Accelerator Fund.
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