The Letterbox Club: An account of a postal club to raise the achievement of children aged 7 to 13 in foster care

The “Letterbox Club” is an intervention that provides reading, writing and mathematics materials to children in public care with the aim of improving their educational attainment. Materials are sent addressed to the child at their place of residence, for children to use on their own or to share with other family members. This paper outlines the early development of the intervention and the eventual form of its organisation and content. National pilots in England showed that children enjoyed and benefited from receiving personalised materials over a sustained period, and there were improvements in attainment in reading and mathematics for many children. The majority of foster carers reported higher levels of engagement with their foster children.