School policies that add up - Reading and writing skills

YESTERDAY’S confirmation that primary pupils’ reading and maths skills have improved significantly for the first time in 30 years is to be unambiguously welcomed.

These foundation skills are essential to getting a good education and later a successful career. Without these basic life skills, prospects can be grim and options very limited.

More than 8,000 pupils in 150 primary schools were assessed last May by the Educational Research Centre and it was found that reading and maths skills have improved significantly since the last assessment in 2009.