Story Zoo is a digital reading platform providing primary schools with access to over 700 curriculum-aligned ebooks, designed to boost reading engagement through a gamified reward system. The platform includes advanced progress tracking, comprehension tests, and built-in accessibility features for students with SEND, dyslexia, and vision or hearing impairments. It offers participating schools a one-year free trial with no payment details required.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Primary schools often struggle to keep students engaged with reading and to monitor individual progress effectively. Teachers face time-consuming record-keeping and may lack the tools to support diverse learners, including those with SEND, dyslexia, or other reading challenges, which can widen the reading gap.
Solution
Story Zoo provides a comprehensive digital reading platform with over 700 exclusive ebooks, including decodable phonics books, fiction, and curriculum-aligned non-fiction for Reception to Year 6. The platform uses a gamified reward system where pupils earn coins for reading and completing quizzes, which they can spend in an interactive 3D zoo, sustaining motivation. Teachers gain real-time access to individual and whole-school progress data, including comprehension test results and reading rates, while built-in accessibility features support students with vision, hearing, or dyslexic needs. The service is designed for use on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, and offers streamlined onboarding for entire classes.
Target Audience
Primary schools, teachers, and families with children in Reception through Year 6, particularly those seeking inclusive reading tools for SEND and dyslexic students.
Features
- 700+ exclusive ebooks mapped to UK colour reading bands and the national curriculum, including decodable phonics and non-fiction titles
- Gamified reward system with virtual coins and a 3D zoo environment to encourage sustained reading engagement
- Advanced progress tracking with real-time data on pages read, comprehension, reading rates, and alerts for at-risk students
- Built-in accessibility tools for SEND, including options for vision impairment, dyslexia, and hearing impairment, with ADHD-friendly fonts in development
- Audio playback of stories recorded by primary school teachers to support emerging and struggling readers
- Whole-school overview dashboards that simplify record-keeping and prepare teachers for OFSTED inspections