Focus on early literacy

A single-minded focus on the single most important issue.
Every year, around a quarter of pupils (150,000 or so) enter Year 3 without the reading skills required to access the widening curriculum. Around a third of these pupils are disadvantaged. This poor start has a major influence on later life chances.
The system is failing those that do not access first teaching in the first years of school, which compounds existing economic disadvantage or other disadvantages that children face, such as relative age in the year and having special educational needs.
Early identification and an intervention system for pupils falling behind would have a huge return on investment, likely saving more than a billion GBP per year within the education system, largely through reduction in the cost of poor quality.
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Our Apex project explores the question of what happens when you provide sustained, high frequency reading intervention for the youngest learners – and then measuring success.
In 2023, 61% of summer-born disadvantaged boys did not get a 4 or above at English GCSE, compared to just 15% of non-disadvantaged autumn-born girls.
Around 25% of pupils go into Year 3 being able to read fewer than 45 words correct per minute.
It’s likely nearly half of summer-born deprived boys can read fewer than 45 words correct per minute by the beginning of Year 3.
Summer-born and male pupils are more likely to be diagnosed as SEND or have an EHCP than girls or pupils born at different times of the year.
Around 10% of pupils in England may need glasses and not have them.
Prior attainment is the biggest predictor of educational outcomes.

The Apex challenge

The challenge of the Apex Project is to turn what some brilliant head teachers and staff teams can do to eliminate early literacy failure, into the knowledge and understanding of the system that’s achievable in all schools.
More about the project

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The Foundation welcomes all questions from the public, press and policymakers.
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Key Information

Details of the Foundation can be seen at the Charity Commission website.