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The Department for Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Review and the Government’s Response represent the first major review of the education framework in over a decade.
The aim is clear: to ensure the national curriculum remains ambitious, inclusive, and relevant for today’s learners. The curriculum must also equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a changing world.
For secondary schools, the implications for literacy are profound. Reading, writing, and oracy will take centre stage across Key Stage 3 and 4, with new expectations for how these skills are taught, assessed and supported in every subject.
The Review in Context: Evolution, Not Revolution
The Review concludes that the national curriculum remains “broadly sound” but highlights ongoing inequities that continue to limit outcomes for too many learners. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND remain disproportionately affected, while schools are under increasing pressure to build digital and media literacy alongside core reading and writing skills.
The guiding principle of “evolution, not revolution” is sensible in its recognition that teachers need stability. However, some may feel the Government’s current pace risks overlooking the urgency of persistent literacy gaps that widened during and after the pandemic. Without sufficient funding or training, even the most thoughtful policy intentions may struggle to translate into meaningful classroom impact.
What the Government Response Says
The Government’s response builds on these findings, outlining a roadmap for curriculum reform and assessment change:
- A revised national curriculum in 2028, with updated GCSEs from 2029.
- A renewed emphasis on a curriculum where knowledge and skills work in partnership.
- Reading, writing, and oracy embedded across all subjects, not confined to English lessons.
- A new statutory Year 8 reading assessment, designed to secure fluency and comprehension early in secondary education.
- Enhanced support for SEND and disadvantaged learners, with new digital tools and ongoing professional development for teachers.
Literacy at the Heart of the Curriculum
Literacy is set to become a shared responsibility across every subject area. The Government plans to introduce a new secondary literacy framework; connecting reading, writing and oracy development into a unified strand of learning.
This framework will promote:
- Reading for pleasure as a foundation for lifelong learning.
- Vocabulary development to unlock subject-specific understanding.
- Disciplinary literacy: helping students read, write and communicate like historians, scientists, or mathematicians.
This framework rightly recognises literacy as a shared responsibility across the curriculum. Yet its success will depend on sustained professional development and time for teachers to embed literacy practices meaningfully within their subjects.
Adaptive literacy tools like Lexia® PowerUp Literacy already align with this approach, building reading fluency, comprehension and critical thinking through personalised, data-driven learning.
What This Means for Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 will become an increasingly critical phase for developing and consolidating literacy skills.
- Transition and progression will be a priority: secondary schools must ensure that reading and writing continue to progress from Key Stage 2 rather than restart from scratch.
- The new Year 8 reading assessment will place greater emphasis on reading fluency and comprehension tracking, requiring schools to monitor progress closely across Years 7 and 8.
- Curriculum sequencing should ensure that literacy skills, especially vocabulary and extended writing, are developed through subject schemes of work.
- Early intervention will be vital for pupils entering secondary education below expected reading levels.
Adaptive literacy programmes can provide the support schools need to respond effectively. Lexia PowerUp Literacy enables teachers to identify and close reading gaps quickly, providing targeted practice in word recognition, comprehension and grammar.
Real-time data dashboards in myLexia help staff pinpoint pupils who may need additional support, strengthening readiness for Key Stage 4.
What This Means for Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, the reforms are likely to place greater emphasis on mastery and depth:
- Stronger KS3 foundations in literacy will enhance readiness for the complex reading and writing demands of GCSEs.
- Pupils will be expected to demonstrate disciplinary understanding, using language effectively within each subject.
- Continued intervention will remain essential for pupils below grade 4 in English, with sustained literacy support throughout Years 10 and 11.
- Schools will need to ensure consistency of literacy practice across departments, embedding oracy and academic writing in subject teaching.
Here again, adaptive tools such as Lexia PowerUp Literacy can provide structured, motivating pathways that help older students catch up and prepare confidently for exams.
Inclusion and SEND: Literacy as a Gateway to Equity
Both the Review and the Government’s response acknowledge that the current system “does not work well for all learners,” particularly those with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Government’s response commits to a more inclusive curriculum through:
- Adapted assessment models that reduce unnecessary barriers for SEND learners.
- Flexible curriculum design allowing pupils to demonstrate literacy progress in multiple ways.
- Targeted investment in teacher training, building staff confidence in supporting diverse literacy needs.
- Expanded access to digital and assistive technologies, ensuring every pupil can access high-quality literacy provision.
The proposed measures are promising. However, the real test will be implementation. Schools will need sustained support and funding to deliver genuinely inclusive literacy provision. Without this, the gap between policy aspiration and classroom reality could persist.
Lexia’s adaptive technology already helps bridge this gap, delivering personalised literacy instruction that adjusts to each pupil’s pace, including those with SEND or low prior attainment. By combining accessibility, motivation and measurable progress, schools can ensure every learner develops the skills and confidence to succeed.
Practical Steps for Schools
As schools prepare for these reforms, a few practical steps can help lay the groundwork:
- Audit literacy provision: Review how reading, writing, and oracy are currently taught across subjects.
- Plan for the Year 8 assessment: Implement robust systems for tracking reading fluency and comprehension from Year 7 onwards.
- Refresh your literacy strategy: Align school policies with the forthcoming oracy and reading frameworks.
- Invest in professional development: Empower teachers across all subjects to embed disciplinary literacy.
- Prioritise inclusion: Ensure SEND pupils access targeted literacy support and adaptive interventions.
- Champion reading culture: Promote reading for pleasure and whole-school engagement with texts.
- Track and monitor progress: Use literacy data to guide teaching and intervention strategies. Tools like myLexia can support these processes, providing clear insight and practical next steps into individual and cohort progress.
Partnering with Lexia
At Lexia, we’re proud to partner with schools to help every learner reach their literacy potential. Our adaptive reading programmes, including Lexia® PowerUp Literacy, support fluency, comprehension, and confidence across Key Stage 3 and 4, empowering teachers with the insights and flexibility they need to meet diverse learner needs.
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