Literacy and English in primary schools
Progression
Teachers use local authority or school progression frameworks well to plan the literacy and English curriculum. These align to Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) experiences and outcomes and national Benchmarks. As a result, staff demonstrate an increasing confidence in their understanding of the use of national Benchmarks. Teachers help children at all stages to make consistent progress in literacy and English. They work together well to ensure that children’s learning through the curriculum is consistent and progressive. They use structured programmes for teaching phonics, grammar, spelling and handwriting.
Where practice is highly effective, teachers refer to prior learning and give children feedback linked to the agreed steps to success. This supports children to see the progress they are making and their next steps in learning. In a few schools, teachers facilitate purposeful transition meetings to pass attainment and progress information on to the new teacher. This ensures that staff gain knowledge about children and build successfully on their prior learning.
Teachers use a range of assessments to support children’s progress. These include formative, summative and standardised assessments, including National Standardised Assessments (NSA) for reading and writing. In schools where senior leaders have implemented an assessment calendar, staff assessments are consistent and effective. They support staff in monitoring children’s progress and identify gaps in learning. Most teachers take part in moderation with colleagues, primarily focused on writing. This helps to develop a shared understanding of progress and achievement and improves the consistency of teacher judgements.
Senior leaders need to ensure that teachers have regular opportunities to moderate across schools and to build confidence in assessing all areas of literacy, not just writing. They should plan high-quality assessments that support children to demonstrate application and skills in new and unfamiliar contexts.
Listening and talking
Teachers plan to develop children’s listening and talking skills through discussions, debates and presentations. These activities support communication and language development in meaningful contexts. However, in the majority of schools, teachers need to plan the development and assessment of listening and talking skills more explicitly. This should ensure that all children make better progress. Teachers model effective talking skills by giving clear explanations and using questioning well to check children’s understanding and, in some cases, to extend thinking.
Teachers should plan and ask questions that encourage children’s higher-order thinking skills more regularly. By using strategies that encourage deeper engagement and purposeful dialogue, teachers should strengthen children’s listening and talking skills further. These strategies are not yet embedded across schools. Senior leaders and staff need to monitor and track progress in listening and talking more robustly. Strengthening this will ensure a more balanced understanding of progress across all areas of literacy.
Reading
Teachers plan a range of reading activities to develop reading fluency and comprehension skills. These include class novels, group reading sessions and opportunities for children to engage in independent reading. Most children enjoy these opportunities to read for pleasure. In the early stages, teachers use approaches like ‘Book of the Week’ to promote enjoyment and comprehension, with follow-up activities that reinforce vocabulary and fine motor skills. In reading, children access online programmes and digital libraries that promote independent reading and reading for pleasure.
Teachers plan effectively for learning that links reading and writing. For example, children use reading skills to take notes and then use these notes to write reports. This helps children understand how reading and writing connect and deepen their comprehension. Older children often read for research and apply their reading skills in writing tasks, presentations and debates. Children are able to become more articulate in discussing texts, using higher-order questioning strategies to deepen their understanding.
Staff have created literacy-rich environments, including inviting library spaces and whole-school reading initiatives, which help build a strong reading culture. Children enjoy playing literacy games on digital devices and literacy quizzes that support their learning in reading.
Writing
In most schools, teachers plan writing lessons through real-life contexts and across a range of genres. They mostly plan discrete learning activities that teach grammar, spelling and punctuation. Most children develop grammar, handwriting and punctuation skills through these lessons. Teachers need to ensure that children consistently transfer these skills into their extended writing. This should support them in improving the fluency, presentation and handwriting of all their writing. Children enjoy ‘free writing’, which they say encourages creativity and sustains their interest.
Staff use displays such as ‘What a Good One Looks Like’ (WAGOLL) and Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, Punctuation (VCOP) to model high-quality writing. Children use these visual supports to improve their work. In most classrooms, teachers explain clearly the purpose of children’s writing and help them understand how to be successful. In a few schools, children co-create success criteria, which supports them to understand better how they can be successful in their learning. Children are supported to be more independent and reflective learners by this approach. This is not common practice, and more schools need to use this approach.
Teachers often provide children with verbal and written feedback on their writing. Children find this helpful when it is specific to the steps to success and supports improvement. However, the steps to success are often too broad and focus on the completion of tasks. As a result, children find it difficult to assess their progress and identify their next steps in writing.
Teachers should ensure that success criteria are measurable, child-friendly and linked clearly to the literacy skills being developed. Children value opportunities to engage in both peer and self-assessment. These approaches help them understand their next steps in learning. Children, particularly at early level, are not always expected to act on feedback or edit their work. To enhance literacy outcomes, teachers should encourage children to regularly set and revisit their targets and use feedback to improve future written work.
Digital learning
Teachers use digital technology effectively to enhance children’s learning within the literacy and English curriculum. Children enjoy using technology to create digital books and presentations. They use tablets and laptops to plan, draft, edit and publish texts. This develops their creativity, writing and presentation skills. In a few schools, children use artificial intelligence to improve their writing. Through this, they get immediate feedback on their text or are able to generate images from their stories. Children use digital tools to enhance their listening and talking skills. They create podcasts, record spoken performances such as puppet shows and news reports, and use text-to-speech tools to support communication.
A few children use email and multimedia texts to link literacy skills to the real world. These opportunities allow children to build reading and writing skills in meaningful contexts. Teachers use interactive whiteboards and multimedia resources well to support their teaching and model writing strategies. They enhance children’s literacy and English learning by using various digital platforms and a wide range of applications. These include online spelling games, interactive quizzes and the use of search engines for research, which engage and motivate children. A few teachers express concern about the use of digital technology and its impact on children’s concentration, handwriting and fine motor skills, particularly in the early years. In a few establishments, staff plan hands-on activities to develop children’s skills in mark-making and dexterity.
Scots language
Senior leaders and teachers ensure that children regularly learn about Scotland’s culture, identity and language through the literacy and English curriculum. Teachers plan engaging activities such as poetry recitals, Scots language storytelling and visits from Scottish authors. Many schools include Scots language and cultural themes in interdisciplinary learning (IDL) and annual events like St Andrew’s Day and Burns Night celebrations. Children enjoy reading Scottish texts, performing in competitions and exploring local dialects.
In some schools, staff work with local partners to deepen children’s understanding of Scottish heritage. This includes visits to local sites or learning local traditions, such as knitting. In the best practice, teachers align these cultural experiences with the literacy curriculum, ensuring progression from P1 to P7. However, this is not yet common practice. Senior leaders need to embed this work more consistently across all classes and ensure progression in planning and learning. Children are enthusiastic and confident when sharing their learning in this area, showing strong engagement with Scotland’s cultural heritage.
The literacy and English curriculum through relevant contexts
Teachers use real-life and local contexts well to deliver the literacy and English curriculum. They plan activities that link listening and talking, reading and writing to meaningful experiences such as writing letters to local businesses, interviewing visitors or recounting school events. Children apply their skills during outdoor learning, school trips and community projects. Teachers plan topics and use texts that reflect children’s interests and backgrounds.
Children use their literacy skills in meaningful ways regularly, such as presenting to others, writing reports and taking part in debates. As a result, they are engaged and motivated in their learning. However, in some schools, these real-life links are not yet applied consistently. In schools with strong practice, senior leaders and staff have developed a clear curriculum rationale that has a focus on developing children’s literacy and English skills through relevant contexts. Most teachers involve children in choosing topics, which increases children’s engagement and helps them see the purpose of their learning. Children are most engaged in literacy and English when they have opportunities to influence what and how they learn.
Teachers plan activities that build literacy skills for learning, life and work. Children develop effective communication and cooperation skills by giving presentations, taking part in debates and completing application forms for leadership roles. This increases their confidence and self-esteem. They work regularly in pairs and groups, learning to cooperate and contribute effectively with each other.
In many schools, children have opportunities to develop as confident individuals, effective contributors, responsible citizens and successful learners through participation in pupil groups. They take on leadership roles such as reading ambassadors or digital leaders, and they organise and participate in community events. In schools with strong practice, teachers make explicit the purpose and relevance of learning. This includes reference to skill development. All teachers need to ensure that children are aware of the literacy and English skills they are developing through their learning and their wider school roles. They need to help children make links between the skills they are developing and how these connect to their future lives and work.
Across Scotland, primary teachers make strong connections between literacy and other areas of the curriculum. They support children well in developing their literacy and English skills through IDL. Children value the opportunities they get to develop their literacy skills through contextualised learning, outdoor and play activities. Most children can identify the connections between learning in literacy and English and their project work confidently. Teachers do not always identify specific literacy skills during planning. They should continue to make these links more explicit and consistent, ensuring that children understand how literacy supports their learning across all curricular areas.
Meeting children’s needs
Teachers demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that all children successfully access the literacy and English curriculum. Most teachers plan differentiated tasks for different groups of children. Children use a range of supports, such as writing frames, reading materials and assistive technologies, to access learning and make progress. For example, they use digital tools, such as screen readers, to support independence and engagement. Senior leaders and teachers meet regularly to review children’s progress. They use a range of data to identify next steps for children and plan interventions. As a result, in many schools, children benefit from targeted support in listening and talking, reading and writing, including one-to-one help and small group interventions. In schools with strong practice, teaching and support staff provide timely interventions that have clear, measurable and achievable targets. However, this is not yet widespread practice.
Teachers provide challenges for some children in literacy and English through extension tasks such as advanced reading materials or complex writing prompts. However, this is not consistent across schools. To better support all children to reach their full potential, teachers need to plan literacy activities that consistently provide appropriate challenge and stretch those children who can achieve more. They should encourage deeper comprehension, more sophisticated use of language and greater independence in listening and talking, reading and writing.
Staff support children who have specific literacy challenges well. They identify needs early and provide targeted interventions. These include phonics programmes, spelling support and oral language activities. These help children make good progress. Children who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) benefit from vocabulary teaching, dual-language resources and peer support. Teachers work closely with support for learning staff and external partners, including speech and language therapists and educational psychologists, to plan and review support. In some schools, senior leaders track the impact of interventions carefully and adjust support as needed. However, in a few cases, support could be more regular or better targeted to ensure that all children continue to make good progress.
Leadership and professional learning
In primary schools, senior leaders take clear steps to help staff understand what progress through the literacy and English curriculum looks like. In many schools, staff prioritise the development of aspects of literacy, including it as a priority on improvement plans. In high-performing schools, senior leaders use research to develop literacy policies. These clarify expectations and promote a shared approach to literacy across the curriculum.
A few schools have literacy leads or champions who support staff and share effective practice. They ensure that staff are aware of current research and approaches to support children. This results in a more consistent approach to the learning and teaching of the literacy and English curriculum across the school. Senior leaders carry out quality assurance processes to monitor the impact of learning and teaching approaches and children’s experiences. As part of this, they observe children’s learning in literacy and English and review children’s work in jotters. Senior leaders meet regularly with teachers to review children’s progress and plan next steps. They make effective use of progression pathways, tracking systems and national Benchmarks to support this professional dialogue.
In the schools visited, teachers demonstrate a commitment to improving their knowledge and skills to teach the literacy and English curriculum. They participate in a range of professional learning to support their delivery of the literacy and English curriculum. Many teachers engage in training delivered by local authority staff and external agencies such as speech and language therapists and the EAL service. As a result of this training, teachers implement strategies that are improving children’s literacy and communication skills. In a few schools, teachers participate in a national writing programme. Through this, they are able to implement an improvement methodology and small tests of change. This is leading to improvements in attainment and an increase in children’s confidence in writing.
Teachers report that they are seeing an increase in the number of children who require additional support and children with EAL. Teachers access training and adapt their approaches to support them in meeting the diverse needs of all children. As a result, children with EAL benefit from targeted vocabulary and tailored strategies to ensure that they are able to access the curriculum. This is improving their language development and engagement. Teachers who receive training in dyslexia-friendly approaches create inclusive learning environments, implement practical classroom strategies and develop children’s phonological awareness. These strategies promote structured, multi-sensory approaches that not only support dyslexic students but also benefit all children. As a result, they reduce barriers to learning successfully.
More staff in more schools need to engage in training on dyslexia to better meet the needs of children. In schools where practice is well developed, staff apply professional learning consistently and share their learning across the staff team. Senior leaders should support staff to evaluate the impact of their learning and continue to build a shared understanding of effective literacy teaching. In a few schools, teachers plan effective play-based activities for children to develop their literacy skills.
Across schools, staff should continue to engage with national practice guidance to develop their approaches to developing literacy skills through play. They should develop their understanding of the relevance of play and help to plan for quality interactions, spaces and experiences. This should help to ensure that children are able to access and lead high-quality play that consolidates and extends their learning in literacy and English.