Children who learn to read using the country’s “leading” phonics programme make one month’s additional progress compared to their peers, while older pupils using a linked catch-up programme typically fall at least two months’ behind.
That is the “disappointing” conclusion of a long-awaited independent evaluation by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) of the Read Write Inc and Fresh Start schemes, offered by Ruth Miskin Training and used by 8,000 schools.
However, the £1 million evaluation was beset with problems during the pandemic, with the EEF urging caution on interpreting the findings.
