Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase literacy in schools.

This Government is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards to give all pupils a solid base upon which to build as they progress through school. Scores in international assessments such as the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) have improved notably, particularly for boys and the lowest performing pupils, narrowing the gap between the higher and lower performing pupils. PIRLS scores are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pirls-2016-reading-literacy-performance-in-england.

In 2018, the Department launched the £26.3 million English Hubs Programme, which is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. It has since provided appropriate and targeted support to several thousands of schools across England.

In 2021, the Department published non-statutory guidance aimed at improving the teaching of the foundations of reading in primary schools.

The Department’s measures also include an updated list of validated phonics programmes, funding for the purchase of phonics programmes and a new National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy.