Primary Education: Literacy

(asked on 31st January 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the total spend on literacy programmes for children under seven in in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 10th February 2017

Good standards in reading and writing are the foundation for all achievement in education. Evidence shows that systematic synthetic phonics is the most effective approach to early reading, and that is why we have placed it at the heart of the primary English curriculum.

We have invested over £50m over the last five years in programmes aimed at improving reading, writing and language skills. This includes:

  • a one off grant of £5 million to Teaching Schools to partner with local nurseries to increase the quality of early years education in their area;
  • £13.1 million to Book Trust for book gifting programmes to improve literacy and promote the love of reading;
  • £941,775 for the National Literacy Trust’s Helping Early Language and Literacy Outcomes programme.
  • £23.7 million in match funding to over 14,000 primary schools between September 2011 and October 2013, enabling them to buy systematic synthetic phonics products and training;
  • £80,000 to fund eight phonics partnerships to improve the quality of phonics teaching; and
  • £30,069 to fund ten phonics roadshows to demonstrate most effective ways to teach phonics.

The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of year 1 has risen from 58% in 2012 to 81% in 2016.

The Department is not responsible for education standards in Wales as this is a devolved matter.

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