Spotlight on Schools: How a Surrey Primary School got £5000 Worth of Free Books in Just One Year

Do you work in a school? Are you struggling to find budget to buy books? Keep reading to find out how one Surrey primary school received £5000 worth of free books in a single year – just from working with an Independent Usborne Partner!  

Staff at Potters Gate Primary School in Farnham, Surrey have worked closely with Independent Usborne Partner Katie Slingerland since 2019, when Katie’s stall at their Christmas Fair helped the school get their first round of free Usborne books. Independent Usborne Partners are self-employed booksellers who can offer up to 60% in free Usborne books on top of any order when working with schools.  

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the school had to cancel their usual events for 2020, but Katie still found lots of creative ways of allowing children and families to access books safely, including putting together an outdoor School Book Fair to comply with Covid restrictions. Her efforts also resulted in the formation of a strong relationship with the school’s PTA, who invited Katie to have a stall at termly PTA events. Katie has also hosted a World Book Day event which saw over 100 pupils taking part in a sponsored reading event – raising money for even more books! 

By building a strong relationship with their local Independent Usborne Partner, this school’s PTA is now able to host a book stall at each of their termly PTA events. Katie’s work has ensured that the pupils have access to quality books and the school’s library can continue to grow.  

About Usborne Community Partnerships 

Usborne Community Partnerships is the direct sales division of Usborne Publishing, existing to support a vibrant network of Independent Usborne Partners - self-employed business owners who sell Usborne books in their communities across the UK and mainland Europe.  

Getting our brilliant books for curious kids into the hands of children everywhere is a huge part of our mission, and Independent Usborne Partners play a pivotal role in this. In fact, schools that host an Usborne Book Fair or reading event can get up to 60% of the value of the books sold in extra FREE books. 

No budget? No problem. Your local Independent Usborne Partner can even help you fundraise, through sponsored reading challenges or by approaching local businesses on your behalf. 

If you are interested in booking an Usborne event for your school, find out more here.