Reading standards in Wales: What's going on, and what does it mean for curriculum reform?

ITV National News* have just dropped a hard-hitting report about standards of literacy in Welsh schools. I you haven’t seen it, you can get the text and video here. 

We wanted to put together a reaction piece to unpack the issues around phonics and reading (without getting embroiled in any reading wars!), but also zoom out a bit and see whether this first really prominent news investigation into the Welsh education reforms might be pointing to wider questions or concerns with the Curriculum for Wales. 

Thanks to Rhys Williams at ITN, Gareth Rein at St Peter’s RC Primary School in Cardiff, Dr Gareth Evans at UWTSD and the various people who gave me background information and understanding, especially about systematic synthetic phonics!

If you were hoping to hear Emma's dulcet tones on this episode, apologies - she was teaching all day and we wanted to turn this episode around in a single day. She'll be back next week!

* This story was put together and broadcast by ITV National News, part of ITN, and not ITV Wales, as I wrongly state twice in the episode. Sorry! - Tom

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Recorded in various locations in Cardiff on 27th September 2024