Northampton Saints Foundation

This month, the IICF’s Story of Impact features Northampton Saints Foundation (NSF), an inspiring charity using the values and appeal of rugby to help young people reconnect with learning and build confidence in the classroom.

For some children, traditional approaches to reading and writing do not spark their interest, particularly where they are already struggling with particular skills or have become disengaged from learning. Northampton Saints Foundation takes a different approach, using rugby, movement, storytelling and small-group activities to spark curiosity and help young people discover that learning can be enjoyable.

With support from IICF, NSF is delivering its Rugby Reading Champions and Foundations of Writing programmes in schools across Northamptonshire, with the potential to support up to 300 children on their literacy journeys. IICF funding enables NSF to offer the programmes free of charge, helping schools, particularly those in more deprived communities, access support despite increasingly stretched budgets.

Through creative, rugby-inspired activities, the programmes meet children where they are and find new ways to build the skills and confidence they need:

Rugby Reading Champions: a ten-week programme using rugby-themed texts, group discussion and activities to develop skills including information retrieval, inference, prediction and critical thinking.

Foundations of Writing: a five-week intervention for children who may be below expected writing standards, struggle with handwriting or motor coordination, or simply be reluctant to write. Rugby and multi-sport activities are used to develop skills such as hand-eye coordination, balance and physical control, helping build confidence and motivation for writing.

A different way to engage: NSF looks at the barriers that may be making learning difficult and uses creative, indirect approaches, including storytelling and rugby-based activities, to help children engage in a different way.

At the heart of these programmes is a simple idea: finding new ways to engage young people can help change how they feel about learning. For the team at NSF, one of the most telling signs of success is seeing children move from asking “Why am I here?” at the outset to “Can we continue?” by the end.

This focus on engagement and confidence is reflected in NSF’s wider education work. Of 939 young people surveyed during the 2024/25 academic year, 88% reported an improvement in wellbeing following participation in an NSF education programme.

By combining education with the values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship, NSF is helping young people see reading, writing and learning through a different lens. In doing so, it is building not only literacy skills, but also curiosity, confidence and a renewed enthusiasm for learning.

To learn more about Northampton Saints Foundation, visit https://www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org/