A reading improvement scheme allocated almost £100 million in government funding may have helped participating schools weather the impact of Covid-19 disruption, Department for Education research suggests.
However, the study found no firm “causal” link between participating in the English hubs programme and improved outcomes in the phonics screening check.
English hubs were launched in 2018 with £26 million in set-up funding. Each of 34 “hubs” is a school selected for their “expertise” in teaching early reading.
They work with selected schools in their area to improve teaching. A further £48 million has been spent since then, and £19.8 million has been allocated for next year.
