The government has announced a mandatory reading test for all children at age 13 to help drive up standards.
The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will tell a major schools conference today that for millions of young people, reading is “the passport to the rest of their lives,” with too many currently held back from the rest of their education – and the wider world – by an inability to read.
All pupils will take the test in year 8 – marking a significant step forward in driving up standards in core literacy skills, which will help young people to unlock everything else school has to offer.
This new measure will set clear expectations to support parents, teachers, and pupils alike – identifying gaps early and targeting help for those who need it, while enabling the most able to go further.
Data from the new statutory assessment will be made available to Ofsted and the government, but individual schools’ results will not be published, as with the phonics check. Schools will make children’s results available to parents.
The test will provide a snapshot in time and the government’s expectation is that it is not an assessment children need to revise for.
“Our research shows that twice as many children and young people who enjoy reading in their free time have above average reading skills than children who don’t enjoy it,” said Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas.
“This finding is important at a time when children and young people’s reading skills are cause for concern, particularly for those from disadvantaged communities. Reading for enjoyment is one of the most powerful drivers of a child’s academic success and wellbeing, but it’s also about so much more than attainment.
“The joy of getting lost in a story, of discovering new ideas, or seeing yourself reflected in a book, should be an everyday part of school life. Embedding that joy into education enriches childhood and builds the foundation for lifelong learning.”
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