Has England’s focus on raising literacy standards over the last 10 years made a difference?
Yes. Standards of literacy are now rising in England. In 2006:
· 83% of 7-year-olds achieved the expected levels in reading and writing, a rise of 5% over the 1996 levels
· 79% of 11-year-olds achieved the expected levels in reading and writing, a rise of 22% over the 1996 levels
· 72% of 14-year-olds achieved the expected levels in reading and writing, a rise of 10% over the 1996 levels
· 62% of 16-year-olds achieved five or more A*-Cs at GCSE, a rise of 19% over the 1996 levels
· 62% of 16-year-olds achieved an A*-Cs at GCSE English, a rise of 8% over the 1996 levels
· It is estimated that 16% of adults in England are not functionally literate, an improvement of 8% over the 1999 figure.
See also:
Literacy standards: Why the facts make good reading - the government has been criticised for squandering £500 million on its literacy strategy, but an article by Geraldine Hackett in the Independent suggests there's real evidence that it has worked. Read the full article at
http://news.independent.co.uk/education/schools/article3158173.ece (Independent, 15 November 2007)
Definitions
The foundation stage profile covers six areas of learning
relating to children’s physical, intellectual, emotional
and social development:
- personal, social and emotional development (3 assessment
scales)
- communication, language and literacy (4 assessment scales)
- mathematical development (3 assessment scales)
- knowledge and understanding of the world (1 assessment
scale)
- physical development (1 assessment scale)
- creative development (1 assessment scale)
The 4 assessment scales under
communication, language and
literacy are:
- language for communication and thinking
- linking sounds and letters
- reading
- writing
For each assessment scale, children are assessed as either
"working towards" the stated early learning goals
(scale score 1 to 3), working within the goals (4 to 8), or
having achieved all the points from 1 to 8 and working consistently
beyond the level of the early learning goals (9). A child
who fails to achieve any of the first three "stepping
stones" on the scale is suffering from profound and complex
problems. Children who achieve a scale score of 6 points or
more are working securely within the early learning goals
for that area and are deemed to have achieved a good level
of development by the end of the foundation stage.
2005
- The areas of learning with the highest percentages of
children working towards the early learning goals (scale
score 1 to 3) were linking sounds and letters (16%), and
writing (15%) - both are within the communication, language
and literacy assessment scale
- In all assessments, there were more boys than girls
working towards early learning goals (scale score 1 to
3), and more girls achieving all of or working beyond
the goals (scale score 8 to 9).
- The majority of children work securely within the early
learning goals (scale score 6 or more) for all assessments.
|
% achieving scale score |
| 1 to 3 |
4 to 7 |
8 to 9 |
6 or more |
| Language for communication and thinking |
6 |
47 |
47 |
81 |
| Linking sounds and letters |
16 |
50 |
33 |
63 |
| Reading |
7 |
56 |
36 |
72 |
| Writing |
15 |
56 |
29 |
61 |
2004
- The areas of learning with the highest percentages of
children working towards the early learning goals (scale
score 1 to 3) included linking sounds and letters (17%)
and writing (14%), both part of the communication, language
and literacy assessment scale. The third was calculating
(11%), on the mathematical development assessment scale.
|
% achieving scale score |
| 0 to 3 |
4 to 7 |
8 to 9 |
| Language for communication and thinking |
6 |
43 |
51 |
| Linking sounds and letters |
17 |
47 |
36 |
| Reading |
7 |
53 |
40 |
| Writing |
14 |
54 |
32 |
2003
Figures on the national results of the foundation stage profile
assessments were published as experimental statistics in 2003
for a number of reasons: it was the first year such data had
been collected as it was a new statutory assessment; teachers
had received limited and variable training; moderation of
results within and between local education authorities was
patch; and there were issues about data quality and completeness.
- The areas of learning with the highest percentages of
children working towards the early learning goals (scale
score 1 to 3) included linking sounds and letters (18%)
and writing (15%), both part of the communication, language
and literacy assessment scale. The third was calculating
(12%), on the mathematical development assessment scale.
|
% achieving scale score |
| 0 to 3 |
4 to 7 |
8 to 9 |
| Language for communication and thinking |
6 |
43 |
51 |
| Linking sounds and letters |
17 |
47 |
36 |
| Reading |
7 |
53 |
40 |
| Writing |
14 |
54 |
32 |
Figures for all assessment scales are available from
www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway.
Education and early years
targets for 2008
General information on early
years
% of pupils reaching level 2 or above (the standard expected
for their age)
| |
Reading (Boys/Girls) |
Writing (Boys/Girls) |
Spelling (Boys/Girls) |
| 2007 |
84 (80/88) |
80 (75/86) |
- |
| 2006 |
84 (80/89) |
81 (76/87) |
- |
| 2005 |
85 (81/89) |
82 (77/88) |
- |
| 2004 |
85 (81/89) |
82 (76/87) |
- |
| 2003 |
84 (80/88) |
81 (76/87) |
- |
| 2002 |
84 (81/88) |
86 (82/90) |
78 |
| 2001 |
84 (80/88) |
86 (82/90) |
75 |
| 2000 |
83 (79/88) |
84 (80/89) |
72 (67/77) |
| 1999 |
82 (78/86) |
83 (78/88) |
71 (66/77) |
| 1998 |
80 (75/85) |
79 (76/86) |
- |
| 1997 |
80 |
80 (75/85) |
- |
| 1996 |
78 |
79 |
- |
| 1995 |
79 (74/84) |
77 (72/83) |
69 (60/71) |
NB From 2005, only teacher assessment results for key stage 1
are published as these are the only set of results schools
are required to report. Prior to this, both National Curriculum
test results and teacher assessments had been used.
(Department for Children, Schools and Families)
- Analysis has shown that many
children who reach level 2C (i.e. a low 2) at the end
of key stage 1 make insufficient progress to reach level
4 as expected at the end of key stage 2. This has led
some to argue that level 2B or higher should be regarded
as the expected level of achievement for most children
at the end of key stage 1, and not level 2C and above
as represented by the statistics above.
- Boys' performance in England is lower than girls' in
all literacy related tasks and tests.
School
literacy standards, targets, and league tables
% of pupils reaching level 4 and above (the standard expected
for their age
| |
Reading (Boys/Girls) |
Writing (Boys/Girls) |
English (Boys/Girls) |
| 2007 |
84 (81/87) |
67 (60/75) |
80 (76/85) |
| 2006 |
83 (79/87) |
67 (59/75) |
79 (74/85) |
| 2005 |
84 (82/87) |
63 (55/72) |
79 (74/84) |
| 2004 |
83 (79/87) |
63 (56/71) |
77 (72/83) |
| 2003 |
81 (78/84) |
60 (52/69) |
75 (70/80) |
| 2002 |
80 (77/83) |
60 (52/68) |
75 (70/79) |
| 2001 |
82 (78/85) |
57 (50/65) |
75 (70/80) |
| 2000 |
83 (80/86) |
55 (48/63) |
75 (70/79) |
| 1999 |
78 (75/82) |
54 (47/62) |
70 (65/76) |
| 1998 |
71 |
53 |
65 (57/73) |
| 1997 |
67 |
53 |
63 |
| 1996 |
- |
- |
- |
| 1995 |
- |
- |
56 (50/63) |
(Department for Children, Schools and Families)
% of pupils reaching level 5 and above (the standard
expected for their age)
| |
Reading (Boys/Girls) |
Writing (Boys/Girls) |
English (Boys/Girls) |
| 2007 |
71 (65/78) |
73 (67/80) |
74 (67/80) |
2006 |
66 (59/74) |
76 (69/83) |
72 (65/80) |
2005 |
68 (61/75) |
76 (70/82) |
74 (67/80) |
2004 |
65 (60/71) |
72 (65/80) |
71 (64/77) |
2003 |
68 (61/74) |
65 (59/72) |
69 (62/76) |
2002 |
- |
- |
66 (58/75) |
2001 |
- |
- |
65 (57/73) |
2000 |
- |
- |
64 (55/73) |
1999 |
- |
- |
63 |
1998 |
- |
- |
- |
1997 |
- |
- |
- |
1996 |
- |
- |
62 (53/72) |
(Source: Department for Education and Skills)
England: % of key stage 4 pupils gaining GCSEs
| |
Total:
5 or more grades A*-C |
Boys:
5 or more grades A*-C |
Girls:
5 or more grades A*-C |
Total:
5 or more grades G or over |
|
| 2007 |
63 |
59.7 |
66.8 |
98 |
|
| 2006 |
62.4 |
58.5 |
66.2 |
98.1 |
1 in 20
3.4 (15 year olds) |
| 2005 |
61.2 |
51.5 |
61.6 |
97.8 |
- |
| 2004 |
59.2 |
48.8 |
58.8 |
97.6 |
6 |
| 2003 |
58.1 |
47.5 |
57.8 |
97.6 |
5.4 |
| 2002 |
51.6 |
44.8 |
55.4 |
- |
- |
| 2001 |
49.8 |
44.6 |
55.2 |
- |
5.5 |
| 2000 |
49 |
43.8 |
54.4 |
89 |
6 |
| 1999 |
47.9 |
- |
- |
- |
6.1 |
| 1998 |
46.3 |
- |
51 |
- |
6.6 |
| 1997 |
45.1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1996 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
(Source: Department for Education and Skills, BBC, Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
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