Children and young people’s writing is at “crisis point”, experts have warned today as new research reveals that the number of pupils who enjoy writing has fallen by more than a quarter.
A National Literacy Trust report shows that just one in three (34.6 per cent) of young people between the ages of 8 and 18 enjoyed writing in their free time in 2023, with this figure having dropped by 26 per cent since 2010.
The charity says this drop, coupled with a decline in writing assessment results in Sats, “suggests that we are no longer facing a setback but a crisis”.
This warning comes after the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in writing in key stage 2 Sats last year fell by 9 percentage points to 69 per cent.
Today’s report, which analyses results from an online survey of 64,066 young people aged eight to 18 from 285 schools across the UK, warns that children’s enjoyment of writing has been on an “alarming downward trajectory since 2017”.
The study also surveyed 7,285 children aged between 5 and 8.
Children enjoy writing less as they get older
The National Literacy Trust found that while the majority of children (72 per cent) enjoyed writing in their free time when they started school at the age of 5, this figure steadily decreased as they went through the school system, with the biggest drop-off happening at and after age 8.
By the age range 16 to 18, the survey recorded that just 28.5 per cent of students enjoyed writing in their free time.
The paper also highlights previous National Literacy Trust research showing that writing enjoyment and attainment are linked, with children and young people who enjoy writing more likely to write above the level expected for their age.
The trust says it is time to provide “considered in-school opportunities aimed at reconnecting children and young people with the creative elements that transform writing into a pleasurable personal practice”.
And it wants children and young people to be provided with the opportunities to get inspired to write, either at school or in the community.
More pupils prefer writing at school than in their free time
Its research also shows that a higher proportion of pupils enjoyed writing at school than in their free time. Some 43.9 per cent of children and young people enjoyed writing at school compared with 34.6 per cent who enjoyed it in their free time.
There was major crossover between these groups. Three in four (74.9 per cent) children and young people who enjoyed writing in their free time also enjoyed writing at school, while three in five (59 per cent) children and young people who enjoyed writing at school also enjoyed writing in their free time.
Students who enjoyed writing more in their free time cited the time constraints of lessons and assessments, prescribed topics and the lack of freedom in choosing a writing style as the reasons why they didn’t find writing in school enjoyable.
The report says that such a trend “calls attention to the relevance of the creative element intrinsic to writing-for-pleasure practices”.
More students who were on free school meals (FSM) reported enjoying writing in their spare time (38.6 per cent) compared with 32.9 per cent of their non-FSM peers, which the trust says highlights ”the potential for writing for pleasure to play a vital role in the lives of disadvantaged children and young people”.
The research also found that reading enjoyment varied by region. The North East had the highest percentage of students who reported enjoying reading - 38.7 per cent - compared with just 29.8 per cent in the South West.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our reforms - including the focus on phonics - are helping to ensure more children leave primary school with a secure grasp of reading and writing are clearly having a positive impact.
“Last month, England came fourth out of 43 comparable countries in an international study for reading despite the impact of the pandemic and also showed a narrowing of the attainment and gender gap.
“We want to continue to drive up standards which is why we are investing an additional £24 million in building children’s literacy and speaking skills as part of our ambition for 90 per cent of children to leave primary school reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths by 2030.”
