Background:
Around twenty-five per cent of pupils, nationally did not meet the expected standard in KS2 reading.
In most schools, pupils requiring additional phonics support represent a minority, with reading fluency often being the greater area of need at Key Stage 2. Ofsted’s English Subject Report (March 2024) highlighted that, once pupils can decode, schools are often less clear about how to develop reading fluency and comprehension. Evidence also shows that, when fluency difficulties are not addressed early, reading challenges can persist into later key stages.
It is therefore important to distinguish between two areas of reading need: word reading and phonics, and reading fluency. Each requires accurate identification, appropriate assessment and a different approach to targeted support.
Both of these issues need to be addressed as a priority in schools if students are going to be able to access the curriculum when they get to secondary school.
Aims:
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Improve reading fluency and comprehension: Support schools to adopt a strategic, evidence-informed approach to developing reading beyond phonics, with the ultimate aim of improving reading outcomes across Key Stage 2.
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Identify and address gaps in phonics: Ensure schools continue to assess pupils' word-reading skills accurately, identifying and addressing gaps in phonics knowledge through targeted support.
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Maintain a rigorous approach to systematic synthetic phonics (SSP): Support schools to deliver effective phonics teaching and intervention for pupils who have not yet secured accurate and automatic decoding.
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Develop understanding of reading fluency: Strengthen teachers' knowledge of the importance of accuracy, automaticity and prosody in developing fluent, confident readers.
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Embed fluent reading across the curriculum: Support schools to establish consistent approaches to modelling, practising and developing fluent reading across subjects.
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Implement evidence-informed fluency strategies: Work alongside partner schools to introduce, embed and evaluate effective teaching approaches that develop reading fluency and support comprehension.
Key Stage 2 Prioritisation criteria:
- Mainstream schools with lower-than-average KS2 reading outcomes for disadvantaged pupils across three or more academic years.
- Mainstream schools with a lower-than-average percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in the KS2 reading assessments (75% met the expected standard nationally in 2025)
- Mainstream schools referred by local partners (e.g. Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE), Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs), Local Authorities (LAs)
- Mainstream schools where standards in KS2 reading are identified as an area for development through recent Ofsted inspection findings.
- Mainstream schools with a high proportion of groups considered hard to reach such as EAL, FSM, travellers.
- Mainstream schools which demonstrate across an average of three consecutive years (2023/24, 2024/25 and 205/26) a percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in KS2 reading which is 6 percentage points or more, lower than the percentage meeting the expected standard in the Y1 PSC.
Self Referral Form:
KS2 Reading Evaluation Self-Referral Form – Fill in form
