A report revealing that a third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school without being able to read properly has sparked responses from educators and experts. The critical issue of secondary school reading fluency is not new, but it has worsened over time. A fundamental inability to access the curriculum due to poor reading and comprehension has always affected a significant cohort of students entering secondary education.
Intensive intervention needed in year 7
A secondary school teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: 'As a secondary school teacher, I am frequently left wondering about the exact nature of the literacy instruction occurring in some primary schools. Year after year, pupils entering year 7 lack the basic decoding and automaticity required to engage with secondary-level texts.'
The teacher emphasised that high-performing secondary schools recognise the severity of this crisis immediately upon transition. 'Rather than offering tokenistic support of a 30-minute session per week, which happens in many schools, high-performing schools take out struggling students in years 7 and 8 from a number of subjects to address this deficit wholesale.'
'Dedicated, intensive immersion is the only effective solution. If schools do not take drastic action to fix these literacy gaps during year 7, it becomes too late for these young people as they face the rigorous demands of key stage 4. Too many schools attempt to play catch-up in later years – far too late.'
Successful primary school approaches
Dr Sue Roffey and Dominic Boddington from the Love of Learning project noted that several primary schools they work with serve mainly white, impoverished communities. 'Many children struggle with adverse home circumstances and invariably enter school with poor skills, especially in speech and language. By the time they leave, however, outcomes are at or above average. Children can read.'
They attributed this success to prioritising relationships with children, parents, and staff, focusing on belonging for all, and making learning meaningful, active, creative, and fun. 'These are schools that prioritise the needs of pupils above accountability measures – and meet them anyway. Is this vision so impossible throughout education? It isn’t more expensive, but just takes the belief that it matters.'
Ofsted's role in accountability
Matt Newman, national officer for Ofsted at the FDA Union, commented on the report: 'Your reporting that a third of disadvantaged white pupils leave primary school without the reading fluency needed to access the secondary curriculum highlights why schools must be held accountable for the progress and experiences of all vulnerable pupils, not just their headline attainment.'
He noted that since November, Ofsted’s new inspection framework has asked inspectors to look beyond special educational needs and disability (Send) provision alone when assessing inclusion. 'Rather than placing responsibility on an individual, such as a Sendco, inspectors are considering how schools support all pupils facing barriers to learning and wellbeing through leadership, culture, teaching and pastoral care.'
Newman added: 'From speaking to his majesty’s inspectors, this wider approach is welcome. It allows inspectors to have more meaningful conversations with school leaders and better recognise the context in which schools are working. Importantly, it also reflects a growing understanding that educational success cannot be measured by attainment alone, but by whether children are able to participate, progress and thrive.'
However, he cautioned: 'Professional judgment must be underpinned by consistently high expectations. Recognising context should never mean lowering the bar for disadvantaged pupils. Instead, the broader inspection framework should ensure every school is held accountable for creating an inclusive environment where all children can succeed.'
