Thursday
Sats 2023: Slow progress in reading and writing after Covid
Attainment at KS1 has risen slightly year-on-year but still remains far below pre-pandemic levels, new DfE figures show
Phonics attainment up but still below pre-pandemic levels
The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the KS1 phonics check has increased since last year but is still below levels achieved in 2019
Friday
Covid inquiry: ‘Mistake’ to keep schools shut
Former children’s tsar tells inquiry the government failed to ‘realistically prepare’ for Covid lockdowns and mitigate their long-term impact on pupils
Fears catch-up progress will be lost as schools face costs struggle
Some schools are questioning the point of getting tutoring ‘up and running’ when funds are set to disappear next year
Thursday
End P1 SNSAs, says primary leaders’ body
Primary headteachers say P1 literacy and numeracy standardised assessments are ‘time consuming and onerous’, and interfere with play-based approaches
Poorer pupils need more reading catch-up support
The disadvantage gap is still wider than before the pandemic despite the recovery of some learning lost during Covid, NFER research shows
