{"id":246489,"date":"2026-05-14T23:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=246489"},"modified":"2026-05-14T23:07:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:07:55","slug":"secondary-english-curriculum-crowds-out-reading-for-pleasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/secondary-english-curriculum-crowds-out-reading-for-pleasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Secondary English curriculum \u2018crowds out\u2019 reading for pleasure"},"content":{"rendered":"

An <\/span>\u201c<\/span>increasingly narrow<\/span>\u201d <\/span>English curriculum and a focus on passing tests are squeezing out <\/span>\u201c<\/span>reading for pleasure<\/span>\u201d<\/span>, experts<\/span> say<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The education committee is exploring the rapid decline in children reading for pleasure<\/a> and looking at what steps the government can take.<\/span><\/p>\n

At a hearing on Wednesday, Robert Eaglestone, <\/span>a <\/span>policy lead at the English Association, described how the secondary English curriculum <\/span>was<\/span> \u201c<\/span>crowding out<\/span>\u201d <\/span>reading for pleasure.<\/span><\/p>\n

He <\/span>blamed<\/span> a <\/span>\u201c<\/span>teach for the test<\/span>\u201d <\/span>and <\/span>\u201c<\/span>knowledge-rich<\/span>\u201d <\/span>approach to the curriculum and pedagogy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>T<\/span>he English curriculum, bizarrely, has worked against reading for pleasure, despite the hard work of teachers and librarians.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he curriculum ha<\/span>d<\/span> become increasingly narrow<\/span>, he said, calling<\/span> for a <\/span>\u201c<\/span>widening out<\/span>\u201d<\/span>, so <\/span>pupils were<\/span> given a broader selection of texts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Call for Gove<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s<\/span> reforms to be scrapped<\/span><\/h2>\n

The curriculum and assessment review<\/a> called for more diversity in the curriculum so children from diverse backgrounds c<\/span>ould<\/span> see <\/span>\u201c<\/span>themselves represented in it<\/span>\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet <\/span>the <\/span>key stage <\/span>4 English literature curriculum<\/span> require<\/span>d pupils<\/span> to study Shakespeare, a 19<\/span>th<\/span>–<\/span>century novel, fiction <\/span>\u201c<\/span>from the British Isles from 1914 onwards<\/span>\u201d<\/span>, and post-1789 poetry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eaglestone said this <\/span>\u201c<\/span>takes away the room<\/span>\u201d <\/span>for diversity. He called for the <\/span>\u201c<\/span>British Isles<\/span>\u201d <\/span>requirement <\/span>\u2013\u00a0<\/span>introduced in 2015 following reforms by Michael Gove <\/span>\u2013\u00a0<\/span>to be abolished and for a return to global literature.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Gove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He also called for the 19<\/span>th<\/span>–<\/span>century novel requirement to be removed, or expanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

English was also being taught in a way that was at odds with “reading for pleasure” and is instead teaching “to the test\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>P<\/span>ersonal response<\/span>\u201d <\/span>to texts ha<\/span>d<\/span> \u201c<\/span>taken a back seat<\/span>\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018<\/span>Reading time must be protected<\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n

Roger McDonald, <\/span>an <\/span>associate professor of primary education at the University of Greenwich, urged the committee to help <\/span>\u201c<\/span>protect<\/span>\u201d <\/span>time for reading at schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said reading for pleasure <\/span>wa<\/span>s something schools <\/span>\u201c<\/span>need to make the time for, but with everything that teachers are up against<\/span>\u2026<\/span>around accountability and the performance nature of some of the testing that children have to do, it does get moved out.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Victoria Dilly, <\/span>the <\/span>chief executive of the School Libraries Association, agreed there <\/span>was<\/span> often little time for independent reading, especially in secondary school.<\/span><\/p>\n

She said school libraries <\/span>we<\/span>re the <\/span>\u201c<\/span>best investment<\/span>\u201d <\/span>for schools hoping to boost reading for pleasure.<\/span><\/p>\n

The government has pledged more than <\/a><\/span>\u00a3<\/span>10 million to help ensure every primary school has a library. Research from last year suggests 1,700 primaries did not have one.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Dilly said proper data-gathering <\/span>was <\/span>needed <\/span>\u201c<\/span>so we can understand what the picture is.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As there <\/span>was<\/span> no statutory requirement for school libraries, Dilly said they <\/span>we<\/span>re often <\/span>\u201c<\/span>at the mercy of cost-reduction strategies<\/span>\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We<\/span>\u2019<\/span>ve seen some of our members made redundant, we<\/span>\u2019<\/span>ve seen hours reduced.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Phonics<\/span> \u2018<\/span>crowds out<\/span>\u2019 <\/span>opportunities<\/span><\/h2>\n

The committee also heard how a focus on phonics in early years <\/span>could<\/span> \u201c<\/span>crowd out<\/span>\u201d <\/span>opportunities for children to foster a love of reading.<\/span><\/p>\n

The use of phonics to teach reading has become mainstream over the past 20 years<\/span>,<\/span> following a focus by both the New Labour and Conservative-led governments.<\/span><\/p>\n

J<\/span>ulie Cigman<\/span>, an e<\/span>arly years consultant<\/span>,<\/span> stressed the need for young children to find <\/span>\u201c<\/span>joy<\/span>\u201d <\/span>in reading, to <\/span>\u201c<\/span>be motivated to read<\/span>\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>You don<\/span>\u2019<\/span>t teach children to learn to swim by putting them on dry land learning swimming strokes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>It sometimes feels like we<\/span>\u2019<\/span>re doing that with phonics, with some children. It<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s decontextualised, and it<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s away from anything that has meaning for them.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Christine O<\/span>\u2019<\/span>Farrelly, <\/span>a <\/span>researcher at <\/span>the <\/span>University of Cambridge, agreed the focus should be on <\/span>\u201c<\/span>instilling a joy of books<\/span>\u201d <\/span>and building familiarity.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

‘Teach for the test’ and a focus on phonics are taking the fun out of reading, say experts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314902,"featured_media":246450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[349],"post-theme":[2961],"class_list":["post-246489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-curriculum","post-theme-curriculum"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t