News
Children's literacy skills found lacking in Wales
31 Jan 2012
Forty per cent of pupils in Wales are entering secondary school with a reading age that is more than six months below their actual age, the chief inspector of Welsh education inspectorate Estyn has warned.
Publishing her annual report for the education and training inspectorate for Wales, Ann Keane described the findings as "unacceptable" and urged teachers to plan lessons more effectively to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills across all subjects.
Although performance in four out of five primary schools and two out of three secondary schools inspected was mainly found to be good, Keane said teachers must be able to adapt lessons for learners of all abilities.
Keane said:
We have concerns about standards in reading and writing in a significant minority of primary schools. Forty per cent of pupils enter secondary schools with a reading age that is more than six months below their actual age. This is unacceptable.
Teachers and managers need to plan lessons more effectively to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects. We have seen a drop in the proportion of excellent or outstanding teaching by comparison with the last cycle of inspections.
Schools need to do more to adapt their materials and teaching styles to meet the needs of learners of all abilities.
See the full article at Children and Young People Now.
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