Report on improving literacy and numeracy achievement in schools - together with the minutes of proceedings of the Committee relating to the report and the minutes of evidence, fifteenth report (Paperback)

While there has been progress improving levels of literacy and numeracy over recent years, the pace of this has been slow. Moreover, there is a high concentration of poor outcomes in some schools and a big gap in performance that is partially linked to social deprivation. In addition, there can be a wide variation in the results achieved by schools with apparently similar intakes. Overlaying this, girls generally achieve higher standards than boys across the school sector, and among disadvantaged communities, maintained schools generally outperform schools in the controlled sector. The Committee concluded that the operation of a number of key elements consistently underlies the performance of schools that achieve high standards of literacy and numeracy: a belief that each child can learn and build on basic literacy and numeracy skills regardless of background; convincing evidence which indicates that the greatest improvements in literacy and numeracy skills will come from systematic and sustained intervention in children's early years; the engagement of parents to provide educational development in the home and in local communities; strong leadership and management practices, involving whole-school approaches to the teaching of literacy and numeracy; the provision of quality teaching and learning by teachers who have acquired, during their pre-service teacher training, and in-service professional learning, evidence-based teaching practices that are shown to be effective in meeting the developmental needs of each child; effective school governance based on a balance between supporting and challenging the school leadership team