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| English pupils improve results in international reading exams | English pupils improve results in international reading exams |
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| Nine- and 10-year-olds in England have improved their reading scores in a set of prestigious international exams, although their results still lag behind Russia, Singapore and Hong Kong, which top the table. | Nine- and 10-year-olds in England have improved their reading scores in a set of prestigious international exams, although their results still lag behind Russia, Singapore and Hong Kong, which top the table. |
| English children who took part were ranked a creditable joint eighth out of 50 participating countries, scoring the same as their peers in Norway and Taiwan, and climbing up from 10th position in the last round of tests five years ago. | English children who took part were ranked a creditable joint eighth out of 50 participating countries, scoring the same as their peers in Norway and Taiwan, and climbing up from 10th position in the last round of tests five years ago. |
| They registered their best ever average reading score of 559 and are gradually climbing back up the rankings after a dramatic fall from third position in 2001 to 15th position in 2006, but were still outperformed by Northern Ireland, which was ranked sixth this year, and Ireland, which came fourth. | They registered their best ever average reading score of 559 and are gradually climbing back up the rankings after a dramatic fall from third position in 2001 to 15th position in 2006, but were still outperformed by Northern Ireland, which was ranked sixth this year, and Ireland, which came fourth. |
| The global assessment – which is separate from the Pisa international tests – was carried out as part of the Pirls (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) international comparative survey of reading attainment. | The global assessment – which is separate from the Pisa international tests – was carried out as part of the Pirls (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) international comparative survey of reading attainment. |
| In comparison with England’s moderate improvement, Belgium and France were further down the rankings with their children registering lower average results this year. Scores also slipped in Canada, Denmark and the US. | |
| The government welcomed the improved performance in reading among English pupils as evidence of the effectiveness of their reforms, including an increased emphasis on phonics, but as well as the countries listed above, children in Finland and Poland also managed to outperform their English peers. | The government welcomed the improved performance in reading among English pupils as evidence of the effectiveness of their reforms, including an increased emphasis on phonics, but as well as the countries listed above, children in Finland and Poland also managed to outperform their English peers. |
| The study is led by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and compares children’s reading ability, experiences of learning to read and enjoyment of reading across participating countries. | The study is led by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and compares children’s reading ability, experiences of learning to read and enjoyment of reading across participating countries. |
| Ministers regard this year’s results as significant because pupils who sat the latest round of Pirls tests in 2016 are part of a cohort who will have been affected by reforms to the primary curriculum and assessment, including the national rollout of a phonics screening check in 2012. | Ministers regard this year’s results as significant because pupils who sat the latest round of Pirls tests in 2016 are part of a cohort who will have been affected by reforms to the primary curriculum and assessment, including the national rollout of a phonics screening check in 2012. |
| The margins of improvement are relatively small, up seven points from 552 in 2011 and 539 in 2016. Welcoming the results, published on Tuesday, the school standards minister Nick Gibb said: “Today’s results put the success of our increased emphasis on phonics and continued focus on raising education standards on a global scale. | |
| “Our rise through the global rankings is even more commendable because it has been driven by an increase in the number of low-performing pupils reading well. This demonstrates our determination to ensure this is a country that works for everyone, regardless of background.” | “Our rise through the global rankings is even more commendable because it has been driven by an increase in the number of low-performing pupils reading well. This demonstrates our determination to ensure this is a country that works for everyone, regardless of background.” |
| However, Dirk Hastetd, executive director of the IEA warned against placing too much emphasis on comparative rankings. | |
| “Ranking depends very much on the participating countries and their results and even on the precision of their measurement. Consequently, we do not recommend to focus too much on rankings but to focus on the scores and changes of scores as well as the other results published in the international report.” | “Ranking depends very much on the participating countries and their results and even on the precision of their measurement. Consequently, we do not recommend to focus too much on rankings but to focus on the scores and changes of scores as well as the other results published in the international report.” |
| Juliet Sizmur, a senior research manager at the Centre for International Education at the National Foundation for Educational Research, said: “International studies such as Pirls provide a valuable external perspective on how well the education system is serving our children and a rich source of insights to inform improvement. | |
| “Reading is a fundamental skill, essential to future success and wellbeing, and so it’s encouraging to see such a positive set of results for England and Northern Ireland.” | |
| She added: “The children who took part in Pirls started school in 2010 shortly after the coalition government was elected. These results will be taken as evidence that recent reforms have been a success. | |
| “It is important, however, not to jump to simplistic conclusions – further analysis will be necessary. This should investigate the results in more detail to explore the extent to which the observed improvements are, in fact, a direct consequence of national reforms and what other factors are involved.” | |
| The Pirls tests, which were first conducted in 2001, included an assessment of online reading ability for the first time to measure how well students read and interpret digital information. England did not participate, but out of the 14 countries that took part Singapore came out on top, followed by Norway and Ireland. | The Pirls tests, which were first conducted in 2001, included an assessment of online reading ability for the first time to measure how well students read and interpret digital information. England did not participate, but out of the 14 countries that took part Singapore came out on top, followed by Norway and Ireland. |
| More than 319,000 students worldwide were tested in 2016 as part of the 2016 assessments. Girls scored higher than boys in 48 of the 50 countries – in the two other countries there was no significant difference between the genders. | More than 319,000 students worldwide were tested in 2016 as part of the 2016 assessments. Girls scored higher than boys in 48 of the 50 countries – in the two other countries there was no significant difference between the genders. |
| Students who attended pre-school and whose parents regularly read with them at an early age had higher reading achievement. The study also recorded a decrease in parents’ positive attitudes to reading in 31 countries, while 17% of parents reported they did not like to read themselves. | Students who attended pre-school and whose parents regularly read with them at an early age had higher reading achievement. The study also recorded a decrease in parents’ positive attitudes to reading in 31 countries, while 17% of parents reported they did not like to read themselves. |
| The study also found that one in 4 students arrived at school hungry every day, and had an average reading achievement score 32 points lower than students who arrived at school never feeling hungry. | The study also found that one in 4 students arrived at school hungry every day, and had an average reading achievement score 32 points lower than students who arrived at school never feeling hungry. |