Ofsted Chief Inspector calls for rapid improvement in literacy

15 Mar 2012 02:38 PM

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has yesterday issued a national challenge to drive up stalled standards of literacy and English.

Addressing a group of outstanding teachers and literacy experts in London he will recognise the improvements that have been made, but say national progress on literacy has stalled and the country is being overtaken by other leading nations.

Sir Michael will say that one in five children do not achieve the expected literacy levels by the end of primary school – 100,000 pupils last year alone – rising to one in three pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. One in seven adults, as many as five million people, lack basic literacy skills.

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