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<p>The ‘Schools White Paper – Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers
for your child’, which was published on 28 March 2022, sets out our long-term vision
for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that
they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. The cornerstones
of a broad, academic, knowledge-rich curriculum are literacy and numeracy. The full
White Paper can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child</a>.</p><p>As
set out in the White Paper, our ambition for literacy and numeracy is that by 2030
90% of primary school children will achieve the expected standard in reading, writing,
and mathematics, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the
worst performing areas will have increased by a third.</p><p>The White Paper adds
to this by setting an ambition that in secondary schools the national GCSE average
grade in both English language and in mathematics increases from 4.5 in 2019 to 5
by 2030. These aims are not for any one school or teacher to achieve alone, but a
measurement of success across the country at a system level. The department’s strategy
to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for all children carefully considers how
we do this for vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, including children who are on free
school meals or those with special educational needs.</p><p>The White Paper builds
on the department’s record of supporting the improvement of literacy standards over
the past decade, including the introduction of the phonics screening check, the English
Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework, and the validation of phonics
programmes. The English Hubs are currently delivering intensive support to over 1000
partner schools, reaching approximately 50,000 pupils in reception and year 1. Supported
schools containing an above-average proportion of free school meal pupils over-represented
in the programme, along with those schools underperforming in phonics. These dedicated
Hubs will continue to support schools to drive up literacy standards, including driving
improvements in the quality of early reading teaching.</p><p>In addition, from autumn
2022, the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Leading Literacy will be available.
The qualification has been designed to develop teacher expertise in leading the development
of pupils’ language, reading, and writing in all key stages. It is aimed at teachers
and leaders who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading literacy
across a school, year group, key stage, or phase. The content framework which underpins
this qualification was published in October 2021 here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-frameworks-from-september-2021"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualifications-frameworks-from-september-2021</a>.
Further details around eligibility and funding for this qualification will be announced
in due course.</p>
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