Thought Leadership Roundtables

The growing literacy crisis in Kent poses significant challenges that demand innovative solutions. At the recent event Solutions to the growing crisis: how do we improve literacy in Kent? educators and experts gathered to discuss these pressing issues and identify actionable strategies to improve literacy outcomes. The discussion covered persistent challenges and explored collaborative solutions to empower students, teachers, and parents in navigating literacy barriers.

Key challenges in literacy across Kent

The gap between selective and non-selective schools: A stark divide exists between selective and non-selective schools in Kent. Selective schools attract higher-performing students, leaving other schools to serve cohorts that may feel disenfranchised due to systemic inequities and limited support.

Lack of parental engagement and support: Parental perceptions of schools significantly impact students' attitudes towards literacy. Parents often disengage, particularly in the case of non-selective schools, perpetuating low expectations for their children. As one educator observed, “A lot of our children are more academically advanced than their parents”. It is therefore critical to let parents know that even if they can’t afford books, or lack that basic literacy skill level themselves, they can still make a huge difference to their children’s attainment by simply empowering self-belief.

Transition from primary to secondary education: The shift from primary to secondary education often disrupts literacy progress. Students accustomed to the broad, integrated teaching of primary education struggle to adapt to the subject-specific demands of secondary education, especially in disciplines like History and Geography that require advanced literacy skills.

Overburdened teachers: Many teachers lack the time or training to consistently incorporate literacy into their curricula. Some feel unprepared to teach grammar and struggle with their own literacy knowledge. Additionally, behavioural challenges and large workloads exacerbate the difficulty of implementing sustainable literacy strategies.

Literacy isn’t seen as a whole-school priority: Still, many teachers do not view literacy as part of their role as a teacher. This results in inconsistent strategies where the onus is on the individual educator's choice to be a teacher of literacy, rather than this being the expectation of the school. One educator spoke to the successes they have seen since becoming Assistant Headteacher, as this gives them - and literacy - a seat at the table and improves consistency and accountability.

The translation of interventions into the mainstream: While interventions can be highly effective, there is still work to be done on scaffolding how students re-enter mainstream education. Often, classroom teachers aren’t up-to-speed on what interventions have been taking place and so don’t take opportunities to reinforce these practices, leading to regression.

Lack of core written skills: One educator spoke of their experience teaching (and correcting, when marking) the grammar in MFL far more explicitly than in other subjects, as this simply isn’t seen as a priority elsewhere in the school. For example, when they go to mark a Geography paper, they have to consciously stop themselves from correcting spelling and grammar. In essence, the students’ spelling and grammar is actually better in MFL than in their own language across other subjects.

Being results-oriented: While attainment in exams is incredibly important for students’ outcomes, we should not forget the importance of literacy in other areas of life, and should reframe what success can look like. Getting students to a place of robust literacy where they can communicate confidently in job interviews, access government forms, and advocate for their needs, should also be considered a priority - even if this is not Ofsted’s focus.

Diversity in the curriculum: There is a lack of diverse texts in the curriculum, leaving schools to source these themselves. However, books aren’t written for schools, and educators expressed their struggles with trying to find texts with a positive lens at an age-appropriate level. Equally, where these books are sourced and used, educators shared that some teachers are not comfortable discussing certain topics in books, so training and support for staff must be considered as well.

Staff turnover: High turnover rates in schools across Kent create an unstable environment for literacy development. New teachers, particularly those from overseas, face a steep learning curve and often struggle to adapt to the local challenges as they have different expectations of students' self-motivation, and therefore fail to intervene quickly enough.

Bridging the digital divide

Access to digital literacy resources lacks equality across schools in Kent. Some schools have successfully integrated tools like Bedrock Learning, while others lack the funding or technical infrastructure to adopt such innovations. This disparity leaves certain schools and students at a significant disadvantage, exacerbating existing inequalities in literacy outcomes. Addressing this requires strategic funding, training for staff on digital tools, and equitable distribution of resources across all schools.

10 key takeaways to support literacy in Kent schools

1. Integrate literacy across all subjects

Literacy should not be confined to English lessons. Departments like Art, History, and PE can incorporate subject-specific literacy tasks, demonstrating its relevance across disciplines. For example, teaching discipline-specific vocabulary can improve comprehension and confidence, and one History teacher shared the phenomenal, tangible successes of improved GCSE grades as a result of Tier 3 instruction. 

2. Bridge the gap between primary and secondary education

Creating a seamless transition is essential. Secondary educators should engage with feeder schools to understand prior literacy teaching and scaffold their curricula accordingly. For instance, revisiting familiar topics at a more advanced level can build confidence and competence, and can reduce the cognitive load thanks to students’ existing background knowledge.

3. Provide targeted CPD for all staff

Continuous professional development (CPD) must address literacy gaps among teachers. Practical, evidence-based strategies should empower educators to confidently teach grammar, etymology, vocabulary and comprehension. One educator shared that every department now has a ‘literacy champion’, which ensures the CPD standards are maintained, and that the disciplinary nature of the learning is accounted for. If you are unsure where to start, you should always base your practices in pedagogy. One educator shared that every initiative they have relates explicitly to the EEF guidance, with impact tracked against these principles to empower clear, pedagogically-aligned accountability.

4. Foster parental involvement

Schools should actively engage parents in supporting their children's literacy development. Simple strategies, such as encouraging monitored reading at home or providing access to school libraries for the whole family, can make a significant difference.

5. Encourage reading for pleasure alongside explicit instruction

Schools must prioritise cultivating a love of reading (alongside more explicit vocabulary instruction, reading for learning, and disciplinary literacy strategies). Initiatives like the ‘Reading 24 Challenge,’ where teachers and students read together, or allowing students to switch books they don’t enjoy, can enhance motivation and engagement. However, to truly unpick what is happening with reading and literacy in your setting, schools must go beyond using reading ages as their sole data point, and invest in subskills analysis. Whether this comes from the Bedrock Reading Test or another assessment tool, standardised data that informs on students' specific areas of literacy weakness is incredibly important for a meaningful strategy

6. Create a cohesive, whole-school literacy strategy

Literacy efforts must be unified across all levels of a school or trust. Clear messaging and consistent practices ensure that literacy is not seen as an isolated responsibility but a shared goal that is championed by SLT. Implementing platforms like Bedrock Learning as part of a wider strategy works best with whole trust support.

7. Embed oracy into the curriculum

Oracy is fundamental to literacy development and should be systematically taught. Initiatives like debating clubs, persuasive speech assignments, and structured discussions help students articulate their thoughts and build confidence. Several educators shared that engagement with these initiatives is significantly higher when students can choose the topic for discussion and that we shouldn’t shy away from emotionally charged topics. For example, one eductor shared that their Y11s chose to speak persuasively on sexual harassment because they truly care about this issue.

8. Make literacy visible and valued

Celebrate literacy achievements. Whether through teacher-led initiatives like “What I’m reading now” displays or student recognition programmes, fostering a culture that values literacy makes it an integral part of the school ethos.

9. Explicit instruction

By explicitly teaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary in all classrooms, we are consistently closing the word gap. One educator shared their ‘Word Attack’ initiative that gamifies vocabulary teaching without losing the basis of pedagogy, as they involve synonyms, drawings, and student-led explanations and examples - much like Bedrock Learning.

10. Disciplinary literacy in primary schools

At primary level the students are used to one teacher being the ‘expert’ for everything, which can lead students to believe that subjects don’t require disciplinary expertise. This is why it is so important to lay the foundations for disciplinary literacy in primary schools, long before its explicit instruction begins. For example, by asking younger learners to wear their ‘scientist hat’ or ‘historian hat’, students become accustomed to altering their thinking, speech and writing to the disciplinary standards of a subject. This also means that we are meeting them where they are and not devaluing their own ways of communicating, making code-switching accessible and meaningful.

Conclusion

Improving literacy outcomes in Kent requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses systemic barriers, equips teachers with the right tools, and engages students and families. As one participant noted, “Every lesson is an opportunity to upskill. We owe it to our students to give them the confidence to thrive, not just academically but in life.” By embedding literacy into the heart of education, Kent can bridge divides and empower the next generation to succeed.

We dive deeper into these themes and many more in our best practice whitepaper, scheduled for release in February 2025.

Keen to be part of the community driving transformational educational outcomes through language? Join the Transforming Education Alliance via the form below. We hope to see you at our next event.