13 December 2005
OFSTED’s Numeracy and Literacy Strategies review
Commenting on OFSTED’s review of the impact of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, Steve Sinnott, NUT General Secretary, said:
“The sustained support provided by the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has certainly helped teachers and led to very real success. But there are messages in the OFSTED review which must be addressed.
“OFSTED must drop the game it plays with the word ‘satisfactory’. It is not poor or unsatisfactory as OFSTED’s tone of derision implies.
“The 2006 national targets have obscured the achievements of primary schools in numeracy and literacy. They should be dropped now.
“The Government needs to be cautious about contemplating fundamental changes to the Literacy Strategy. The message from OFSTED is continuity is needed not constant upheaval.
“There needs to be an inquiry involving the teaching profession into how the gap in attainment between boys and girls writing can be narrowed.
“The detrimental impact of high stakes National Curriculum tests is obvious, with teachers feeling constrained to concentrate on pupils in years 5 and 6 prior to the tests at the expense of younger pupils.
In secondary schools, teachers need time and space to concentrate on the literacy and numeracy needs of youngsters newly arrived from primary schools. The review of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum is long overdue. Its current rigidity needs to be replaced by flexibility.”