What is literacy?

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Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.

Why is literacy important?

Lacking vital literacy skills holds a person back at every stage of their life. As a child they won't be able to succeed at school, as a young adult they will be locked out of the job market, and as a parent they won't be able to support their own child's learning. This intergenerational cycle makes social mobility and a fairer society more difficult.

People with low literacy skills may not be able to read a book or newspaper, understand road signs or price labels, make sense of a bus or train timetable, fill out a form, read instructions on medicines or use the internet.

Low levels of literacy undermine the UK’s economic competitiveness, costing the taxpayer £2.5 billion every year (KPMG, 2009). A third of businesses are not satisfied with young people’s literacy skills when they enter the workforce and a similar number have organised remedial training for young recruits to improve their basic skills, including literacy and communication.

Our research

Our research underpins our programmes, campaigns and policy work to improve literacy skills, attitudes and habits across the UK.

  • 1 in 8 disadvantaged children in the UK say that they don’t have a book of their own

    Children who say they have a book of their own are 15 times more likely to read above the level expected for their age than their peers who don’t own a book (28.8% vs 1.9%). Read more. 

  • The longer children keep an enjoyment of reading going, the greater the benefits are in the classroom

    10-year-olds who enjoy reading have a reading age 1.3 years higher than their peers who do not enjoy reading, rising to 2.1 years for 12-year-olds and 3.3 years for 14-year-olds. Read more.

  • Children born into communities with the most serious literacy challenges have some of the lowest life expectancies in England

    A boy born in Stockton Town Centre (an area with serious literacy challenges) has a life expectancy 26.1 years shorter than a boy born in North Oxford. Read more.

  • 3 in 5 children in the UK enjoy reading

    Children’s enjoyment of reading is at an all-time-high, rising 14% between 2005-2016. In 2016 we recorded the highest levels of reading enjoyment to date. Read more.

  • Half of children in the UK enjoy writing

    Children who enjoy writing outside school are seven times more likely to write above the expected level for their age compared with children who don’t enjoy writing (23.2% vs 3.2%). Read more.

  • Almost all families with a child under the age of five own touchscreens

    Only 57% of parents talk about a story with their child when sharing it on a screen, compared to 80% while looking at a book. Read more.

See more of our research reports.

Adult literacy

Adults with poor literacy skills will be locked out of the job market and, as a parent, they won’t be able to support their child’s learning. Find out more. 

These are the latest available statistics for adult literacy levels in England (2011), Scotland (2009), Wales (2010) and Northern Ireland (2016). Each Nation has a different definition of basic literacy skills, so country comparisons are not possible.

  • England

    1 in 7 (14.9% / 5.1 million people) adults in England lack basic literacy skills. 

  • Scotland

    1 in 4 (26.7% / 931,000 people) adults in Scotland experience challenges due to their lack of literacy skills. 

  • Wales

    1 in 8 (12% / 216,000 people) adults in Wales lack basic literacy skills. 

  • Northern Ireland

    1 in 5 (17.9% / 550,000 people) adults in Northern Ireland lack basic literacy skills. 

Experian event

How does England's literacy compare with other countries?

Every three years, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) runs its Programme for InternationalStudent Assessment (PISA), a survey comparing different education systems from around the world. PISA tests the reading, science, mathematics and problem solving skills of 15-year-old pupils.

Over 70 countries took part in the most recent PISA in 2015, including the 35 member countries of the OECD and all four countries of the UK. The UK has climbed from 23rd place in 2012 to 21st place in 2015 for reading scores.

 The PISA 2015 report for England found that:

  • There has been no is significant change in average reading scores in England since 2006
  • The OECD average declined slightly in 2015, thus pupils in England performed above the average for the very first time
  • In only seven countries is the gap between the highest and lowest performing readers greater than in England
  • Boys in England perform less well in reading than girls by an average of nine months of schooling. This trend also exists in most other countries

Another report by the OECD found that England is the only country in the developed world in which adults aged 55-to-65 perform better in literacy and numeracy than those aged 16-to-24. This means that in time, the basic skills of the English labour force could fall further behind those of other countries.

For more information on literacy around the world, visit the OECD and the National Foundation for Educational Research. 

Education in England

Throughout the UK, children aged 5-16 must be in full time education. Literacy and communication skills are embedded across the national curriculum in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and are assessed throughout a child’s time in education.

England follows a National Curriculum that is organised into blocks of years called Key Stages. Children’s literacy skills are tested at:

  • Age 5 (Early Years Foundation Stage)
  • At the end of their first year in primary school (phonics screening check)
  • At the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in primary school (KS1 and KS2 National Curriculum Tests, formerly SATS)
  • At the end of Key Stage 4 in secondary school (GCSEs: General Certificates of Secondary Education)
EWT @ 2 - baby with book

Early years (ages 0-5)

In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework sets the standards that all providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well. It sets out learning requirements in line with the knowledge, skills and understanding that children should have by the time they turn five and start primary school.

There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early years settings, including areas specific to communication and language (e.g. listening and attention, understanding, speaking) and literacy (e.g. reading, writing).

Teachers assess every child who will be five-years-old on, or before, the start of the new school year by an EYFS profile. The assessments are based on classroom observation and children are not tested. In 2017:  

  • 71% of children achieved a good level of development by the age of five, falling to 56% of children eligible for free school meals
  • 77% of five-year-olds met the minimum standard for reading, 73% for writing, 85% for speaking and 86% for listening
  • Fewer children on free school meals met the minimum standards for reading (63%), writing (58%), speaking (77%) and listening (77%) compared to their peers

In 2017, the Department for Education launched a consultation on the future of primary assessment, including possible changes to the EYFS profile. The EYFS profile will remain in place for the 2017-2018 academic year, while the department reviews the consultation.

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Primary school (ages 5-11)

At the end of a child’s first year at primary school in England (Year 1) they will undertake a phonics screening check. This is a short assessment carried out by teachers to check whether or not each child has learnt to decode words using phonics to an appropriate national standard. In 2017:

  • 81% of children met the national standard in phonics 

At the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2), pupils undertake National Curriculum Tests (formerly SATs) and teacher assessments in English, maths and science. In 2017: 

  • 76% of children achieved the new expected standard in reading
  • 68% of children achieved the new expected standard in writing

At the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6), pupils undertake National Curriculum Tests (formerly SATs) and teacher assessments in English, maths and science. In 2017:

  • 72% of children achieved the new expected standard in reading, falling to 56% of children eligible for free school meals (according to data obtained by the National Literacy Trust from the Department for Education)
  • 76% of children achieved the new expected standard in writing
  • 77% of children achieved the new expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling

Comedy classroom

Secondary school (ages 11-16)

Key Stage 3 includes the first three years of a child’s secondary education (Years 7-9). Children and young people’s progress is assessed by their teacher throughout Key Stage 3.

During Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11), children begin a two-year programme of study for their GCSEs (General Certificates of Secondary Education). Examinations are taken by most pupils at the end of compulsory school education (Year 11).

There are around 50 different GCSE subjects, alongside 14 vocational GCSEs which have recently been introduced to replace Part 1 GNVQs (General National Vocational Qualifications). 

The government has recently reformed GCSEs. In 2017, students sat the first exams for the reformed GCSEs in English language, English literacy and mathematics. These subjects were graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade, rather than A*-G. In 2017:

  • 71% of students achieved a good grade in English language GCSE or equivalent (grades A*-C or the new Level 9-4) 

Education in Wales, Northern Ireland & Scotland

Wales

The education system in Wales largely follows the structure in England, with the exception of the curriculum for Key Stage 1:

  • Children aged three to seven follow the Foundation Phase curriculum and are assessed at the beginning and end of the phase
  • Pupils in Years 2-9 also take annual National Reading and Numeracy Tests
  • A new curriculum is being developed in Wales for children aged 3-16 and will be available by September 2018 and implemented throughout Wales by 2021

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland follows the Northern Ireland Curriculum, which is based on the National Curriculum for England and Wales, with a few key differences:

  • Pupils take Levels of Progression tests at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 4), Key Stage 2 (Year 7) and Key Stage 3 (Year 10)
  • Students in Years 4-7 are also given computer-based assessments in literacy, called Northern Ireland Literacy Assessments (NILAs)

Scotland

Scotland follows the Curriculum for Excellence for nursery, primary and secondary schools.

  • Children in Scotland complete seven years of primary school, starting in P1 (the equivalent of reception classes in England) and going up to P7 (the equivalent of Year 7 in England)
  • The first and second years of secondary school (S1 and S2) is a continuation of the Curriculum for Excellence started in primary school, after which there is no set national approach
  • In S3 and S4, students undertake 6-9 subjects called Nationals; at this stage, students tend to be presented at National levels 3-5. Nationals should take one year to complete, with National 3 and 4 having no external exam. Nationals 4 and 5 tend to be completed in S5, with some pupils taking Highers
  • Until the surveys were discontinued in May 2016, pupils in P4, P7, and S2 would complete the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy at the end of the school year
  • From August 2017, new standardised assessments are being introduced as part of the National Improvement Framework. At the end of every school year, teachers of P1, P4, P7 and S3 classes will assess whether children have achieved the relevant Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage in reading, writing, talking and listening. In S4 and S5, pupils will take National 4 or National 5 qualifications (formerly called Standard Grades).