This Ofsted subject report looks 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. 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.
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.
The writing curriculum often introduces complex tasks too early before many pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills that underpin these. Primary pupils are not always given sufficient teaching and practice to gain high degrees of fluency in spelling and handwriting early enough.
The report says there is still more to do to make sure that all pupils learn important foundational knowledge well, from the start. This is especially the case for pupils with lower starting points and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who struggle to keep up from the beginning can quickly fall behind and find it increasingly difficult to access the same curriculum as their peers.