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Failure to tackle poor literacy is threatening action on child poverty
16 May 2011
A new National Literacy Trust report published today highlights the level of literacy need across the country and the gap in local response. Published in the report, a survey of 500 local service providers including community and voluntary organisations, health practitioners, childcare providers and children’s centres found that:
- 75% of services meet parents with literacy difficulties
- 48% rarely or never signpost these parents to support for themselves and 54% rarely or never signpost them to support for their children
- 35% of services rarely or never talk to parents about how they could support their children’s literacy development
The findings are revealed today in a new National Literacy Trust report: Local authorities improving life chances: A review of a new approach to raising literacy levels. The report describes how innovative approaches to supporting literacy in disadvantaged communities have addressed the issues raised by the survey results and benefitted children and families across the UK.
The Child Poverty Act 2010 places legal obligations on councils to tackle child poverty. This study will provide inspiration for how local areas can meet this challenge in the coming years. The Government’s recently published strategies on child poverty and social mobility highlight the gap in educational attainment as a key factor, while a new emphasis on early language development and school readiness at age five also underlines the importance of literacy in delivering on child poverty.
Emily McCoy, Communities and Local Areas Manager at the National Literacy Trust says:
“The Government sees entrenched poverty as resting on low achievement, low aspiration and low opportunity across generations. Literacy has a vital role to play in addressing all three. Research shows that literacy skills do not just enable educational attainment; they underpin strong family relationships, better health choices and an individual’s capacity (and confidence) to gain employment.
“Our report clearly raises the question - how can local areas tackle child poverty without an explicit focus on literacy? We want to raise greater awareness both locally and nationally and ensure local areas have the tools they need to tackle literacy. A recent report* showed that local councils want more guidance on reducing child poverty. We believe the approaches outlined in Local authorities improving life chances will be a valuable asset. This October Frank Field MP will lead our conference on child poverty which will extend the debate and provide policy updates and best practice examples of how local areas have tackled the issue across their communities.”
The report reveals how the National Literacy Trust has been working with local authorities and their partners to raise literacy levels through a strategic focus on literacy, and specifically, literacy in the home. It includes:
- Details of how greater partnership working between local services, and better targeted literacy support, can provide a value-for-money approach to improving life chances
- A route map for how literacy can be embedded in wider priorities, such as child poverty
- Information on how a literacy needs assessment can be undertaken as part of authorities’ requirements to assess local needs within their child poverty strategies
The report also highlights successful and innovative local examples, including:
- Wiltshire Council working with housing associations to engage more parents in supporting their children’s literacy development
- Community volunteers extending literacy support to vulnerable individuals in Rochdale
- Sheffield Council who are supporting children in care by improving the literacy skills of foster carers
Derrick Anderson is Chief Executive of Lambeth Borough Council, one of the local authorities which has been working closely with the National Literacy Trust for the last two years.
“Low literacy underpins many of the big issues which trouble local areas: worklessness, poor skills and low attainment. By improving literacy levels we can improve life chances and save money on a whole range of later interventions.”
The Breaking the cycle: Aspirations, literacy and the home conference will take place in London on 11 October. Further information and a booking form can be found at www.literacytrust.org.uk/events/33
The report, Local authorities improving life chances, can be found at www.literacytrust.org.uk/communities/our_approach
Ends
For more information please contact Anna Lindsay, Public Relations Officer on 020 7820 6256 or email Anna.Lindsay@literacytrust.org.uk
Notes to Editors
Research published in McCoy, E. (2011) Local authorities improving life chances: A review of a new approach to raising literacy levels, National Literacy Trust is taken from the findings of a survey carried out in August and September 2009. Detail of the survey and a summary of findings are published in McCoy, E. and Mottram, E. (2010) Partners in Literacy Survey 2009: A snapshot of local support for literacy, National Literacy Trust
In 2009, the National Literacy Trust received funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the DfE) to develop a new and strategic approach to improving literacy levels through partnerships with local authorities. Titled ‘Partners in Literacy’ the two year pilot project worked with nine local authorities supporting them to develop a new and robust planning process to influence literacy in the home. The National Literacy Trust remains committed to the difference a strategic approach to literacy can make and will continue to work in partnership with local authorities and other local partners to ensure no child grows up without the literacy skills they need to succeed in life.
*Nelson, J., O’Donnell, L. and Filmer-Sankey, C. (2011) Local authority progress in tackling child poverty. Slough: NFER, commissioned by the Local Government Group
About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity and the leading literacy expert in the UK. We have raised literacy levels across communities and local areas by supporting the home learning environment and helping to facilitate partnerships where local services are developed to meet families’ needs. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society.
To find out more about the support we offer to communities and local areas please visit www.literacytrust.org.uk/communities
To help us transform lives through literacy, you can make a donation or support our work. To find out how visit http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/support
National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486. Registered in England and Wales. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. Tel: 020 7587 1842
