| answer text |
<p>This government is committed to raising standards in literacy and numeracy, the
foundations for children’s success in education and beyond.</p><p> </p><p>The department
has delivered a range of measures to improve the teaching of English. The department
has published a Reading Framework, providing guidance on the teaching of reading in
primary schools, launched the National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy
to train existing teachers to become literacy experts, and is conducting a review
into best practice in writing teaching.</p><p> </p><p>This has been backed by investment.
In 2018, the department launched a £67 million English Hubs Programme to improve the
teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading
for pleasure. Currently, 14 schools are receiving intensive support from Springhill
Hub in the Portsmouth Local Authority District. This is in addition to the two schools
that have already graduated from the programme.</p><p> </p><p>Similarly, in 2014,
the department introduced a national network of 40 Maths Hubs, to help local schools
improve the quality of their teaching. Maths Hubs deliver the department’s Teaching
for Mastery programme, which is bringing teaching practice from high performing East
Asian jurisdictions to primary and secondary schools across England. The Solent Maths
Hub covers Portsmouth as well as Hampshire, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p>The Prime Minister also recently announced more investment in mathematics,
as part of the new Advanced British Standard qualification, including some £60 million
over two years to improve mathematics education.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to support
provided through the department’s hubs programmes, Portsmouth is receiving further
dedicated support as one of 24 Priority Education Investment Areas identified in the
Schools White Paper. Portsmouth will receive £1.8 million as part of a national investment
of around £40 million of additional funding for bespoke interventions, including in
literacy and numeracy, to address local needs. The aim is to address entrenched underperformance,
in areas with some of the highest rates of disadvantage in the country.</p>
|
|
