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Literacy changes lives

Children's and young people's literacy levels in England


Early Years Foundation Stage

Formerly the Foundation Stage Profile

Definitions
The Early Years Foundation Stage 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.

2009

  • Again the assessment area with the lowest percentage of children working securely within the Early Learning Goals was Communication, Language and Literacy: Writing - 62 per cent
  • The percentage of children achieving a good level of development in 2009 was 52 per cent compared to 49 per cent in 2008 and 46 per cent in 2007.
  • The majority of children continue to work securely within (6 points or more) the Early Learning Goals for all assessment areas.
% achieving scale score
1 to 3 4 to 8 9 6 or more
Language for communication and thinking 4 86 9 82
Linking sounds and letters 9 79 12 74
Reading 6 86 7 72
Writing 13 82 5 62

 

2008

  • The assessment area with the lowest percentage of children working securely within the Early Learning Goals was Communication, Language and Literacy: Writing - 61 per cent
  • Girls continue to achieve at a higher level than boys. For each assessment area more girls than boys work securely within (6 points or more) the Early Learning Goals:

    The largest gap in achievement is in Communication, Language and Literacy: writing at 18 percentage points.
% achieving scale score
1 to 3 4 to 8 9 6 or more
Language for communication and thinking 5 84 10 79
Linking sounds and letters 11 76 13 71
Reading 7 85 8 70
Writing 14 80 6 61



2005

  • The assessment scales 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



Key stage 1 (age 7)


% of pupils reaching level 2 or above (the standard expected for their age)
 
Reading (Boys/Girls)
Writing (Boys/Girls)
Spelling (Boys/Girls)
2009
84 (81/89)
81 (75/87)
-
2008
84 (80/88)
80 (75/86)
-
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


Key stage 2 (age 11)

% of pupils reaching level 4 and above (the standard expected for their age

 
Reading (Boys/Girls)
Writing (Boys/Girls)
English (Boys/Girls)
2009*
86(82/89)
67(60/75)
80(75/85)
2008
87(83/90)
68(61/75)
81(77/86)
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)

*Provisional results

(Department for Children, Schools and Families)


Key stage 3 (age 14)

% of pupils reaching level 5 and above (the standard expected for their age)

 
Reading (Boys/Girls)
Writing (Boys/Girls)
English (Boys/Girls)
2008
69(62/76)
78(85/72)
74(67/81)
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)

NB From 2009 only teacher assessments will be published for Key Stage 3 as these are the only results schools are required to report.

(Source: Department for Education and Skills/Children, Schools and )


Key stage 4 (age 16 - GCSE)

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

Total:
No GCSEs

2008
65.3
60.9
69.9
91.6
-
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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