Pupils’ futures are being “put at risk” as the number enjoying writing in their spare time has plummeted to an “unprecedented low”, a charity has warned.
The National Literacy Trust (NLT) said the number of children and young people who said they enjoy writing in their free time has fallen to the lowest point since the charity started its survey 14 years ago.
Fewer than three in 10 (28.7 per cent) of those aged between 8 and 18 said they enjoyed writing in their free time in 2024, compared with 46.8 per cent in 2010.
Only one in nine (11.1 per cent) said they write daily in their free time, compared with 19.3 per cent last year, the survey found.
The daily writing levels for children and young people have dropped to an “all-time low”, according to the report.
Creative writing ‘reduced to a checklist’
Laura May Rowlands, head of English at Woodlands Community College, said that, in her experience, there were opportunities to write for pleasure in the curriculum, but many pupils no longer want to do this in their free time.
She told Tes one factor that may have contributed to this is “the narrowing of the curriculum from key stages 2 to 4, where so much creative writing is reduced to a checklist of grammatical terms and ambitious vocabulary”.
“Pupils need time, space and literacy tools to be able to see writing as a pleasurable activity and outcome,” Ms Rowlands added.
Overall, 76,131 children and young people aged 5-18 from 405 schools across the UK were surveyed by the NLT between January and March 2024.
Matt Carnaby, Astrea Academy Trust’s director of curriculum and assessment, who is also chair of the English Association’s Secondary and Further Education Committee, said teachers and leaders work hard to develop a love of reading and writing in children, but are up against “significant challenges” from the long shadow of the pandemic.
“Everyone concerned with the welfare of our young people should be looking at the findings of this report and thinking carefully about how we create meaningful opportunities for children to engage with writing opportunities,” he added.
It comes after 71 per cent of children in England met the expected standard in writing in the key stage 2 Sats in 2023, down from 78 per cent in 2019.
Enjoyment of writing decreases as pupils get older
The report said the findings suggest that “we must prepare to live with the long-term consequences of this evolving crisis”.
The charity is calling for urgent action to be taken to address the “alarmingly low levels” of writing enjoyment among young people, as it says writing for pleasure promotes mental wellbeing and self-expression.
Two in three (66.7 per cent) children between the ages of 5 and 8 enjoy writing in their free time, but this decreases as they get older, according to the survey.
Just over one in five (21.8 per cent) children aged 14-16 said they enjoyed writing in their spare time.
The report also found that children’s enjoyment of writing at school, rather than in their free time, has increased over the past year.
More than half (53.6 per cent) of children and young people aged between 8 and 18 said they enjoy writing at school, compared with 43.9 per cent last year.
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the current curriculum and assessment system was part of the problem.
When the union surveyed school leaders on the primary statutory assessment system earlier this year, they criticised the KS2 writing framework for focusing too much on the technical aspects of writing, she said.
“The grammar curriculum for primary-aged children is unfit for purpose and must be subject to a comprehensive review,” she added.
Children’s futures ‘put at risk’
Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the NLT, said: “With children and young people’s enjoyment of writing at an all-time low, and high numbers leaving primary and secondary school without the writing skills they need to thrive, children’s futures are being put at risk.”
Mr Douglas for children to be provided with more “meaningful opportunities” to reconnect with the creative elements of writing that make it enjoyable and allow for self-expression.
Author Malorie Blackman said: “The findings are a definite cause for concern. The writing of stories, poems, journals and diaries allows for reflection, expression, innovation and imagination, all of which are stepping stones to improving creativity as well as mental wellbeing.”
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