A national focus on reading at the start of secondary school will drive up standards to ensure every young person can achieve and thrive, as the government announces a mandatory reading test for all children at age 13.
The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will tell a major schools conference today that for millions of young people, reading is “the passport to the rest of their lives,” with too many currently held back from the rest of their education – and the wider world – by an inability to read.
All pupils will take the test in year 8 – marking a significant step forward in driving up standards in core literacy skills which will help young people to unlock everything else school has to offer.
This new measure will set clear expectations to support parents, teachers and pupils alike – identifying gaps early and targeting help for those who need it, while enabling the most able to go further.
Speaking at the Confederation of School Trusts conference today, the Education Secretary will set out the core tenets of the government’s forthcoming schools white paper, which will lay the path for national renewal to take schools into the 2030s.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:
There is one barrier in particular I worry is locking young people out. Because before a child can even begin to engage in everything their school has to offer, they must first be able to read.
When they can’t, the sense of dejection sets in. Engagement seeps away. Attendance follows.
Reading holds the key to so much. There is no foundation more important.
So we will introduce a statutory assessment in year 8 to assess reading fluency and comprehension.
We’ll test progress at this key point when too many children either spin their wheels or fall further behind.
Invaluable data for schools to make sure no child’s need for more, for a helping hand, can slip through the cracks.
Children’s reading journey begins in the earliest years, and the government will build on the success of the phonics programme, setting a new ambition for 90% of children to be meeting the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check.
The government is expanding its support in reception year through the English Hubs programme, putting a laser-focus on the children that struggle the most, alongside reforms to boost the quality of education in the early years, and wider family support through Best Start Family Hubs.
Chief Executive, Lift Schools, Rebecca Boomer-Clark, said:
Reading is the key that unlocks everything, both learning and engagement. Having a national ambition for 90% of children passing the phonics check and the introduction of reading tests at Year 8 are both very positive steps forward.
We set ourselves a network 90% goal for primary phonics in 2021 and have been testing reading ability across our mainstream schools from Year 2 – Year 10 for the last few years. This has provided us with invaluable information and insight on how to get children back on track – it has driven significant leaps forward in how our children and young people read and as a result how they can engage fully in their learning. This work is critically important for all children, but especially so for those from more disadvantaged backgrounds.
Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, said:
The National Year of Reading 2026 will be a pivotal moment to make reading feel relevant, exciting and rewarding. In collaboration with the Department for Education and multi-sector partners, we are excited to spark a movement that puts reading back at the heart of our culture.
Our research shows that twice as many children and young people who enjoy reading in their free time have above average reading skills than children who don’t enjoy it. This finding is important at a time when children and young people’s reading skills are cause for concern, particularly for those from disadvantaged communities. Reading for enjoyment is one of the most powerful drivers of a child’s academic success and wellbeing, but it’s also about so much more than attainment. The joy of getting lost in a story, of discovering new ideas, or seeing yourself reflected in a book, should be an everyday part of school life. Embedding that joy into education enriches childhood and builds the foundation for lifelong learning,
Data from the new statutory assessment will be made available to Ofsted and government, but individual schools’ results will not be published – as with the phonics check. Schools will make children’s results available to parents.
The test will provide a snapshot in time and the government’s expectation is that it is not an assessment children need to revise for.
The plans build on the Government’s National Year of Reading, which will unite parents, schools, libraries and businesses to get people reading and help reverse the decline in reading for pleasure among young people.
The government is already supporting an improvement in reading and writing skills, including through new training for teachers in secondary school to support young people to read, and a £1million fund to support schools with the greatest need to purchase reading programmes and other resources to support struggling readers.
