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KELLY SAYS ROSE REVIEW IS CRUCIAL TO BOOST READING STANDARDS FURTHER
20 March 2006Education Secretary Ruth Kelly today welcomed the final report of the Rose Review of the Teaching of Early Reading, which sets out clearly how children should be taught to read. Ruth Kelly announced the Government would be revising the statutory national curriculum to require phonics to be the prime approach used in teaching children to read.The Rose report stresses that good teaching, attention to speaking and listening skills and the systematic learning of phonics are crucial to raise standards, with early interventions to prevent children from falling behind.Implementing the report’s recommendations forms part of the Government’s drive to raise standards in literacy yet higher through effective personalised learning for all children. It complements our drive to raise standards in secondary schools through personalised learning, a drive given further momentum by the launch by Ruth Kelly last week of the Teaching and Learning 2020 review led by the Tower Hamlets Chief Executive Christine Gilbert. Jim Rose’s report makes clear that the Primary National Strategy, which promotes phonics teaching, has led to a substantial increase in standards since it was introduced in 1998.Ruth Kelly said that the report would play a major part in guiding the renewal of the framework for teaching literacy, and the development of the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure even more children are helped to read at an early stage.She accepted all the recommendations in the report and launched a rigorous programme of training for teachers through the Primary National Strategy, and changes to Initial Teacher Training led by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).Today’s report marks a significant step in the Government’s continuing drive to build on the successes of the Primary National Strategy. There have been huge improvements in the teaching of reading since the introduction of the national literacy strategy in 1998, with 84% of 11 year olds reaching the expected level for their age in reading last year, compared to 67% in 1997. Ruth Kelly said: “I want to thank Jim Rose for this thorough review. This is a clear roadmap for reading which draws on the experience of teachers and experts to show what works best for children in the classroom. “There have been rapid improvements in children’s literacy over the last seven years, but we know that one in five of our 11 year olds still leave primary school without reaching the necessary standard in English. This is not acceptable and we must do more to help these children. This report gives us a clear strategy on how to drive forward further improvements.“I am clear that synthetic phonics should be the first strategy in teaching all children to read. I want to be clear in the National Curriculum and we will now work with QCA on how best to do this.
“High quality training is essential. We will provide a programme of training through the National Strategies over the next school year, and we will work with Initial Teacher Training providers over the next two years to ensure that newly qualified teachers can teach phonics well and within two years every new teacher will be taught in this way. “Taken together with our review of personalised learning in 2020 I launched last week, these measures show that we are determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that all our kids are learning to the best of their ability."
Jim Rose’s full report builds on his interim report in December and today recommended that:
- High quality systematic phonic work should be taught discretely and within a broad and rich curriculum, developing children’s speaking and listening skills;
- For most children, high quality systematic work should start by the age of five. Phonics teaching should be enjoyable in order to capture their interest, sustain motivation and reinforce learning in imaginative ways;
- While good mainstream practice will raise standards, there will always be some children who need more intensive intervention – and the key to success here is the integration of the catch-up support such children receive, and their whole group teaching;
- Headteachers should make sure that phonic work is given appropriate priority in the teaching of beginner readers and set ambitious targets for achievement in English at the end of Key Stage 2;
- High quality training is essential to ensure practitioners and teachers are able to teach reading well. Phonics should be a central part of in-service and initial teacher training.
Jim Rose said: “This final report builds upon the interim report published in December 2005. It focuses on best practice, that is to say, practice which yields the greatest benefits for the learner. The review confirms the importance of establishing high quality, systematic phonic work as essential for beginner readers.
“At best our settings and schools embody the principles of such work within a language-rich curriculum that gives rise to high achievements in reading and writing. The challenge now is to ensure that in all settings and schools, the teaching and learning of early reading and writing in general, and phonic work in particular, measure up to this best practice.”
Ruth Kelly added:
“The report also dispels the myth that phonics teaching has been abandoned. Phonics has been a central part of the National Literacy Strategy since it was introduced in 1998 and is already firmly a part of the Foundation Stage. “This report shows how to make phonics work even more central to the work of the Strategy and embed the latest good practice so teachers can enable children to become fluent readers and enjoy language at the same time.
“Jim Rose is right to say that systematic teaching of phonics can and should be engaging, and help to foster a love of reading and writing.
“ We must also ensure that schools take early action to prevent children from falling behind, to nip problems in the bud; and that this is backed up with a systematic approach to intervening with those children who do need additional support to catch-up with their classmates.” “ I have also asked Jim Rose to report back to me from time to time and update me on the implementation of his proposals.” Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said:
"These findings are a clear indication that children can successfully develop the first steps in reading through the power of fun learning such as storytelling or nursery rhymes. We will ensure that the conclusions of the review are reflected in the new Early Years Foundation Stage so that children are given the best chance to develop their early reading skills."
Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. Jim Rose has been an education consultant since 1999, having undertaken a number of assignments for government and educational organisations both at home and overseas. His high profile reports include Curriculum Organisation and Classroom Practice in Primary Schools published in 1992 and he chaired the independent scrutiny panel on the 1999 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests in English and Mathematics. After holding a variety of teaching posts in both primary and secondary schools, including two headships, he was appointed HMI in 1975 as a primary education specialist. He became Staff Inspector for Pupils with Specialist Educational Needs in 1979, Chief Inspector with national responsibilities including primary education (1983), and Director of Inspection, OFSTED (1994). He is currently a member of the QCA Board and also be serving on the Teaching and Learning 2020 Review which will make recommendations to Government on how best to implement personalisation in schools. 2. In the PIRLS international study published in 2003, England’s 10 year olds achieved the third highest scores in reading literacy out of the 35 countries which took part.
3. During 2004/05, Ofsted inspectors found that around three-quarters of primary teaching in English and mathematics was excellent or good or better, whereas in 1997/98 just over half of teaching overall was judged excellent or good. 4. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies (now combined as the Primary National Strategy) introduced the daily literacy and maths lessons. The Framework for teaching Literacy, published in 1998, provided teachers with lesson plans and objectives that they could use to teach their daily literacy lesson. Since then the Strategy has provided teachers with a growing range of support including teaching materials, lesson plans, training days and in-class advice from expert consultants. These build upon and develop the Framework to incorporate the latest findings from research and best practice.
5. The report is available online – http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/rosereview/finalreportContact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Press Notice 2006/0038
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