Ofsted has today published a subject report looking at how English is being taught in England’s schools.
The report draws on evidence from subject visits to a sample of primary and secondary schools.
The teaching of reading in schools has improved significantly since the introduction of the phonics screening check, the report finds. Schools have successfully invested in phonics programmes and training so that teachers know how to teach pupils to read. However, when pupils enter key stages 2 and 3 unable to read fluently, they are not always supported well enough to be able to catch up quickly.
The curriculums for written and spoken language are less effective. Schools understand that spoken language underpins pupils’ reading and writing. However, many schools are not always sure how to teach spoken language in a way that helps pupils understand how to confidently express themselves.
