Thought Leadership Roundtables

The recent Transforming Education Alliance roundtable event, Solutions to the growing crisis: How do we improve literacy in North West England?, highlighted the urgent need to address literacy challenges in schools across the region. Here, we delve into the key barriers to progress and explore practical takeaways to drive meaningful change, with a focus on schools in the Manchester area.

The key challenges

The North West of England faces significant literacy challenges due to a combination of systemic issues and structural inequalities. At the core is a disparity in resources compared to regions like London, resulting in less funding, fewer opportunities for professional development, and limited classroom time devoted to literacy. “We’re not setting learners up for success,” noted one attendee, referencing the content-heavy curriculum that often sacrifices literacy skills for breadth of knowledge.

Secondary schools face the added complication of assuming learners are fluent readers by Year 7. However, many arrive still “learning to read” rather than “reading to learn.” The gaps in reading fluency and comprehension, particularly among disadvantaged learners and those with English as an Additional Language (EAL), widen as learners progress through secondary school.

The lack of cross-departmental literacy initiatives further compounds the issue. As one participant explained, “Language is the bedrock of all learning,” yet literacy often remains siloed within English departments. Other challenges include:

• Limited teacher training: Teachers often lack the confidence or skills to integrate literacy into their subject areas effectively.
• Cognitive overload: Content-heavy curriculums overwhelm learners, particularly those with foundational literacy gaps.
• Disjointed assessments: Current frameworks fail to provide an accurate measure of reading development, especially post-SATs.
• Oracy misconceptions: Terms like oracy and literacy are poorly understood, and spoken language skills are underdeveloped across subjects.
• More resources for Maths & STEM subjects: attendees agreed that more importance was needed to be placed in English to develop reading, literacy and oracy skills.

Would the current curriculum review address the final point? The group hoped it would place literacy, language and oracy at the heart of boosting learner outcomes.

Ten key takeaways to improve literacy in Manchester schools

1. Embed literacy across the curriculum

Literacy must be seen as everyone’s responsibility. Training subject teachers to incorporate literacy strategies into their teaching will help students connect language skills with diverse content areas. Tools like Bedrock Mapper are essential to planning a school-wide approach.

2. Invest in literacy-specific CPD

Schools need dedicated training that equips teachers to deliver literacy instruction confidently. “Modelling and rehearsal of literacy strategies in CPD is vital,” stressed one contributor, adding that teachers must practice these approaches to integrate them effectively.

3. Strengthen primary-secondary transitions

A primary-trained transition lead for Year 7 can bridge the literacy gap between key stages. This approach has shown transformative results, ensuring continuity in learning while training secondary teachers on foundational literacy practices.

4. Promote reading for fluency and pleasure

Initiatives like the Sussex Faster Reading Project demonstrate the power of fast-paced, collective reading sessions. Programs should focus on improving reading fluency and comprehension, with a particular emphasis on bridging post-phonics gaps. All new programmes should be implemented with care, ensuring they are targeted to the right learners.

5. Foster oracy as a foundation of learning

Oracy should be explicitly taught and integrated into all subjects. “It’s not just about academia; spoken language is foundational,” a participant noted. Developing students’ verbal skills enhances their overall confidence, job prospects and wellbeing, not just for academic success.

6. Create a cross-curriculum literacy team

A literacy team with representatives from each department can share best practices, support strategy development, and reduce the perception of literacy as an “extra” task for teachers. By sharing ideas and bringing literacy to the foreground in these groups, each department feels engaged but also obliged to be involved.

7. Build a data-driven literacy strategy

Secondary schools need richer data from primary schools, including detailed reading profiles and SEND information. These insights can guide tailored interventions and ensure continuity through to further education.

8. Involve senior leadership and secure buy-in

Senior leaders must champion literacy by integrating it into school-wide priorities. Initiatives such as a five-year reading campaign can galvanise the entire school community, but will fall down if senior leadership doesn’t back the approach.

9. Utilise peer support and role models

Older students and librarians can play crucial roles in supporting younger learners, creating a culture of shared responsibility for literacy. “Role models in reading are transformative,” one attendee emphasised.

10. Integrate mental wellbeing with literacy

Reading can foster wellbeing by providing accessible, relatable content. Form-time reading sessions led by teachers can expose students to diverse texts while creating moments of connection and calm. The Story Project was highlighted as a good example of using children’s stories to inspire lifelong wellbeing.

Finally

The challenges to improving literacy in the North West are significant, but solutions exist within reach. By fostering collaboration between departments, empowering teachers with effective training, and embedding literacy into every aspect of school life, Manchester’s schools can close the gap and build a brighter future for their learners. As one participant succinctly put it, “We need literacy to be the lens through which all learning is viewed.” With that in mind, the resources, funding and training is needed to transform outcomes through language for learners at school and into adulthood.

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 today. We hope to see you at our next event.