The Lit in Colour Pioneers programme

Together with Penguin Books UK and The Runnymede Trust, we want to highlight the importance of a diverse English Literature curriculum.

We understand the importance of students having access to books by authors from a range of backgrounds, to ensure a better reflection of contemporary culture and society, and to provide students with both experiences beyond their own and experiences that may resonate with them.

To help in achieving this mission, we launched the Lit in Colour Pioneers Programme in 2021 and have since then supported over 250 schools and 29,000 learners to enrich their learning by studying texts written by authors of colour.  

Following the 4-year pilot, we’re excited to launch the Lit in Colour Pioneers Pilot impact report. The report provides in-depth insights on the effects of studying a text by an author of colour,and is the latest step in our mission to create a curriculum that truly represents all.

Download the full report Become a Lit in Colour Pioneer

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Key research findings…

10% of students taking Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Literature now study a text by an author of colour. This is 100 times more students than before the Lit in Colour Pioneers Pilot programme.
Teachers and students report higher levels of classroom engagement when studying a Lit in Colour Pioneers text.
Students were more likely to report that they found the stories and characters in the books that they read felt relevant to their lives and community.
Students achieved across the full range of marks answering on a new text, including at the very highest levels.

Explore more key findings

Here’s what our existing pioneers are saying…

Take a look at our case studies to find out more about our diverse set text options and the Lit in Colour Pioneer experience.

Lit in Colour Pioneers case study - UTC Derby
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Lit in Colour Pioneers case study - Blue Coat school
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Lit in Colour Pioneers case study - Heathlands School
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Want to join the Lit in Colour Pioneers programme?

We're looking for secondary schools and colleges to take part in our 2024 Lit in Colour Pioneers programme, receiving free access to:

  • Copies of the chosen set texts for every student in the relevant year group, donated by Penguin.

  • A Lit in Colour mini library including 200 free Penguin books by Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers designed for all age groups, together with colourful posters and artwork.

  • A Lit in Colour Pioneers poster and certificate for you to display in your school.

  • Resources to support you when teaching a new set text, including schemes of work, exemplars and sample assessment material. 

  • CPD training webinars for teachers and school librarians, including racial literacy training and in-person student events.

  • A subject specialist providing you with 1:1 training, expertise and guidance to support with switching to Pearson Edexcel and throughout teaching the qualification. 

  • High quality assessment and marking training to give you a deeper understanding of the assessment criteria.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

  • Commit to diversifying your English Literature curriculum by switching to Edexcel GCSE and/ or A Level English Literature and changing to a new set text to be taught from September 2025 with first examination from 2027.

  • Be a secondary school or college based in England.

  • be new to the Lit in Colour pioneers programme at either GCSE or A level. Please be aware that you will not receive an additional library donation if your school/college has previously taken part in the Lit in Colour Pioneers Programme. 

What are the texts?

Discover the qualifications and set texts in our Lit in Colour qualifications guide (PDF | 4.02 MB), or visit our qualifications website to find out more about the set texts on our Pearson Edexcel GCSE and A level English Literature qualifications.

Apply now

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