Morning, Monday, 1st December 2025
Online
This conference will examine the way forward for literacy and numeracy in England’s schools and early years settings. It comes with a renewed policy focus on foundational skills, including the Government’s aim of functional literacy and numeracy for all by the age of 18, and the recent launch of the Government’s National Year of Reading for 2026, which aims to tackle the fall in reading rates.
Attendees will also consider ways forward ahead of the expected publication of a Schools White Paper this autumn - with indications that the Government is considering introducing a mandatory test for reading ability for students in Year 8 in light of concerns that children are falling behind in literacy, impacting their understanding of the curriculum - as well as the Government’s recent commitment to provide a library in all primary schools in England by the end of this Parliament.
Policy priorities and curriculum reform
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to look ahead to implementation of findings from the forthcoming Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report expected later this year, including potential reform to KS2 writing assessment and coordination of changes with broader curriculum aims. Discussion will draw on recommendations in the CAR interim review earlier this year, which emphasised the need for numeracy and literacy to be effectively integrated across the curriculum, as well as the impact of grammar, punctuation and spelling tests at KS2, and a potential narrowing of the curriculum linked to performance measures such as the English Baccalaureate.
Sessions assess priorities for improving progression and outcomes in reading, writing, and mathematics, considering how curriculum and assessment can more accurately reflect pupils’ real-world understanding, creativity, and problem-solving ability. Delegates will discuss the way forward for system governance and accountability structures, including collaboration to support stakeholders in implementing these reforms, and how roles are defined across local authorities, schools, trusts and nurseries as the sector adapts to new national responsibilities.
Early years
Delegates will discuss next steps for strengthening early language and numeracy skills, including for disadvantaged children, following the extension of funding for Stronger Practice Hubs and expansion of the Maths Champions programme. We also expect discussion on the Government’s recently published Best Start in Life Strategy, which aims to improve child development through funding for early interventions in English and maths, as well as a commitment to roll out Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to provide early language support.
Attendees will consider support needed by early years practitioners to enable them to deliver high-quality provision, ensuring that curriculum design supports strong foundations, as well as best practice in easing the transition into primary school settings. Further areas for discussion include supporting maintained nursery schools in leading local improvement, and how to achieve sustainable funding and consistent pedagogy across different providers.
Curriculum, assessment, English and maths hubs, and workforce priorities
Delegates will assess the effectiveness of hubs, including the impact of the Government’s recent £2m commitment to training in phonics and early reading, and consider options for further strengthening early literacy in light of a new phonics-inspired Writing Framework. Discussion will also consider strategies to prevent geographical disparities in hub coverage and priorities for ensuring quality in training delivery.
Areas for discussion include how to better reflect pupils’ understanding and skills across different forms of writing, supporting both technical accuracy and expressive capability, as well as how to ensure that assessment systems and teaching methods provide meaningful feedback for progression and are not solely focused on assessment outcomes.
Further sessions will consider workforce priorities, including how best to support practitioner confidence and subject knowledge in delivering literacy and numeracy, supporting teachers in delivering assessment as to not overburden them, the potential use of digital tools skills, and strategic approaches to recruitment and retention. Discussion will look at how to manage curriculum content and design at KS1 and 2, considering concerns around overload while continuing to secure high standards in literacy and numeracy for all learners.
Pupil engagement, inclusion, and foundational skills
Best practice in supporting struggling readers in secondary schools will be examined - including continuity of support beyond primary education and effective training for teachers - and the way forward for improving pupil engagement. Attendees will consider approaches for addressing issues of equity, inclusion, and sustained intervention for those at risk of falling behind beyond early years, as well as bridging potential gender attainment gaps in English and maths. The role of libraries in promoting reading cultures beyond literacy skills will also be considered, in light of aims for wider rollout.
We expect further discussion to consider the effectiveness of English and maths resit policy post-16, looking at options for a more tailored approach to supporting continued progress in foundational skills beyond GCSE, with calls for reform from some - including the proposed introduction of a modular approach with students focusing on gaps in their knowledge rather than the entire course.
Advocacy and community involvement
With concerns over declining enjoyment of reading among children highlighted in recent findings from the National Literacy Trust, we expect the morning to bring out latest thinking on strategies for building positive reading cultures, both inside and outside school ahead of the Government’s forthcoming National Year of Reading campaign from January 2026, including through community partnerships and improved parental engagement, and best practice approaches for supporting reading outside school environments.
