Ofsted has produced a new research review setting out how schools can deliver a high-quality curriculum in English literature and language.
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman has said that English is fundamental to pupils’ success.
The subject research review is the latest in a series from the inspectorate since it launched the education inspection framework, which places an increased emphasis on the delivery of the curriculum.
Here are its key findings:
1. Teach phonics from Reception
The review says that pupils should be taught to read using a systematic synthetic phonics programme in Reception and that “this should not be delayed if children are not already phonologically aware”.
The review says that teaching phonics also supports the development of pupils’ handwriting and spelling.
And Ofsted says schools should identify early on any children who have not grasped the alphabetic code and intervene swiftly. Children who master the alphabetic code early on make better progress than their peers who do not, the review says.
2. Reading weaknesses may be mislabelled as dyslexia
Ofsted said that teachers may attribute weaknesses in reading to a pupil having dyslexia, rather than having gaps in their phonics knowledge.
It says this can also lead to teachers using reading interventions that have an alternative approach, rather than teaching systematic synthetic phonics.
Ofsted says that reading requires the same phonics knowledge for all children.
The review adds: “Teachers can help pupils overcome difficulties by ensuring that they learn GPCs (grapheme-phoneme correspondences).”
While pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are highly likely to need much more frequent repetition, the general principles from research into effective teaching are just as relevant for pupils with SEND, whether learning English or any other subject, Ofsted said.
It adds: “Research shows that pupils with SEND do not generally benefit from differentiated teaching, activities or resources to achieve a curriculum goal.”
3. Closing the word gap is ‘vital’
Developing vocabulary is fundamental to pupils’ progress and narrows the word gap between pupils who are word-rich and word-poor, the review finds.
It highlights how a survey of teachers reported overwhelmingly that, if pupils have limited vocabulary, this affects their progress across a wide range of subjects.
Eighty per cent of these teachers said it was “very” or “extremely” challenging for pupils with limited vocabulary to read national test papers.
The review also warns that, at both primary and secondary level, the gap between those who are word-rich and those who are word-poor correlates with lasting socioeconomic and health inequalities.
Children with a language deficit at the age of 5 are four times more likely to have reading difficulties when they are adults.
The review adds: “Narrowing the word gap between pupils who are word-rich and word-poor is vital. Vocabulary development and wider language development feed into reading and writing.
“Adults’ engagement in dialogue with young children supports their language development.”
4. A reading curriculum should contain texts of increasing challenge
Ofsted says that throughout the curriculum, the choice of texts studied is critically important.
The inspectorate says that an effective English curriculum will feature increasingly challenging texts at each stage.
It adds: “Different factors contribute to the challenge of a text. A clear understanding of this enables the construction of a curriculum that builds readiness for future reading.”
Ofsted said that pupils are likely to benefit from opportunities to read whole texts.
5. Teachers should model spoken language
Opportunities for pupils of all ages to develop their proficiency in spoken language should be planned carefully, both in English lessons and across other subjects, the review says.
Classroom activities should allow opportunities for teachers to model competence as a speaker and listener. This modelling contributes significantly to developing pupils’ spoken language.
Ofsted says teachers should therefore model language forms that pupils might not encounter away from school, as well as introducing potentially unfamiliar vocabulary.
6. Early exams can lead to lower grades
The review says that early entry into English GCSEs can have a negative impact. It says that students who were entered for English literature in 2018 and then for English language in 2019 generally achieved lower grades in English language than students who took both subjects in 2019.
The inspectorate warns that, as well as potentially affecting pupils’ performance, early entry might limit the breadth of the English literature curriculum that students get to study.
7. Marked decline in A-level English popularity
The inspectorate also warns that there has been a marked decline in the number of students who are choosing to study English beyond the age of 16.
The review highlights how, over the past decade, the number of students studying A-level English has declined.
In 2019, 57,912 students chose A-level English, compared with 84,037 in 2010. The data also shows the decline was more marked for boys.
Commenting on the findings overall, Ms Spielman said: “More than any other subject, English - and especially reading - is fundamental to pupils’ educational success. But English is so much more than the gateway to success in other subjects.
“Through studying literature, pupils’ eyes are opened to the human experience; they explore meaning and ambiguity as well as the beauty and power of language.
“We hope that this review helps teachers and school leaders raise the quality of education in English and inspire a love of literature and language in all young people.”
