Save My Exams x NationalWorld: The Changing Reading Habits of UK Secondary School Students

Reading habits are changing amongst teenagers in the UK, with over half of pupils saying that they have read less for enjoyment since starting secondary school. 

A new survey by Save My Exams, conducted in partnership with Iconic Media (formerly NationalWorld (opens in a new tab)) and involving nearly 2,000 students, has uncovered a major shift in how young people view the importance of reading.

The findings come after the National Literacy Trust reported (opens in a new tab) in July that reading enjoyment among children and young people in the UK has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, and figures in August revealed (opens in a new tab) that the number of boys studying English at A-Level in 2025 had halved since 2009. 

The results show that a rising number of teenagers are becoming growingly disengaged with the English curriculum, with almost 2 in 5 believing that they don’t receive enough support to improve their reading skills.

Continue reading for a detailed breakdown of what the survey discovered.   

Are teenagers in the UK still reading for enjoyment? 

Three in five (57%) secondary school students in the UK say that they still read for enjoyment in their free time; however, almost a quarter (24%) admit to only reading in their spare time for homework or school-assigned tasks. 

Almost one in five students (18%) stated that they don’t enjoy reading. 

Are pupils reading more or less since starting secondary school? 

Over half (55%) of students said that they have read less for enjoyment since starting secondary school, with just three in ten (27%) reporting having read more. 

Only one in six (15%) pupils said that they would choose to read in their free time, with teenagers preferring to spend their free time on sports activities (26%), watching TV/films/streaming platforms (23%), or on social media (18%). 

How are students coping with English compared with other subjects? 

After 2025 saw another small decline in the number of students passing GCSE English Language, a third (33%) of students surveyed said that they found English the hardest when compared to other subjects. 

Does the curriculum need to include more books? 

Four in ten (41%) secondary school pupils don’t want the current curriculum to include more books over the academic year, with almost one in five (18%) students claiming to be ‘not interested’ in reading more books as part of the curriculum. 

However, over a third (36%) believe having more books in the curriculum improves their academic performance, and almost a quarter (23%) believe having more books in the curriculum helps them learn about new cultures.

Overall, more than half (59%) of secondary school pupils would like the current curriculum to include more books over the academic year.  

What inspires students to read? 

Only one in seven (13%) students said that they were inspired by the current curriculum to read more, with teens saying that social media influencers (18%), academic aspirations (19%), and friends and family (20%) were all more inspiring. 

Are students getting enough support from schools? 

Almost two in five (38%) students don’t feel supported enough by their school to improve their reading skills, and almost a quarter (24%) don’t believe they get any support from their teachers or school to improve them. 

UK Government spokesperson reacts to the findings 

In light of the survey findings, a Department for Education spokesperson told (opens in a new tab) Iconic Media: 

“English and reading are essential for life, learning and work, and we want all young people to have a strong foundation in English to help them achieve and thrive as part of our Plan for Change. 

“This is why we will launch a National Year of Reading next year and have invested £27.7 million to support the teaching of reading and writing, with a focus on pupils making the slowest progress, including in secondary school. 

“Our independent, expert-led curriculum and assessment review, which has been looking at all subjects in the curriculum as well as GCSEs, will also make sure all pupils benefit from a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and maths, and ensures they leave school ready for work and ready for life.”

Summary of findings

Save My Exams’ survey, in exclusive collaboration with NationalWorld, shows that teachers and educators need to find ways to address, reignite, and ultimately better inspire students when it comes to reading.

This is particularly important if we are going to successfully overturn the continued decline in GCSE English pass rates and the falling number of students interested in studying English at A Level. 

Methodology 

Save My Exams and NationalWorld collaborated to survey 1,891 UK secondary school students to explore reading habits, motivations, and the challenges faced in English Language and Literature at GCSE in October 2025.

Sources

National Literacy Trust: Children and young people's reading in 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Why boys aren’t studying English (and teachers don’t like it either) (opens in a new tab)