"Spoken language is key to achieving School White Paper ambitions," say All-Party Parliamentary Groups

The APPGs have come together to ensure that spoken language is front and centre in the forthcoming Schools White Paper so every child has the opportunity to succeed in school and life beyond. The evidence of why this matters is clear.

• One in four children who struggled with language at age five did not reach the expected standard in English at the end of primary school. (Save the Children)
• One in five children who struggled with language at age five did not reach the expected standard in maths at the end of primary school. (Save the Children)
• In areas of social disadvantage the impact can be even greater: in some areas of deprivation, more than 50% of children start school with delayed language skills. (Locke, Ginsborg and Peers, 2002)

The APPGs’ joint call follows a roundtable discussion with Robin Walker MP, Minister for Schools, on how schools can be better supported and encouraged to improve children’s spoken language and meet overarching requirements set out on the National Curriculum.

The APPGs welcome the minister’s:

• Recognition that spoken language is fundamental to learning and to meeting targets in literacy and numeracy.
• Commitment to further discussions with the APPGs and their professional advisers – Voice 21, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), and I CAN – to explore how the Schools White Paper or wider measures to improve literacy can appropriately emphasise spoken language.
• Support for and interest in evidence-based solutions to support children’s language development beyond the Early Years.

The APPGs also welcome the Minister’s recognition that the Schools White Paper should be aligned with proposals in the forthcoming SEND Green Paper to improve early identification and support for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.

The APPGs’ meeting comes just weeks after Voice 21, RCSLT and I CAN published a joint position statement (PDF) on the centrality of spoken language to developing literacy and numeracy skills.

The Schools White Paper provides an important opportunity to address educational inequality and the negative impact the pandemic has had on the already stubborn ‘language gap’ across all ages, alongside supporting teachers and schools to overcome the barriers they face in prioritising children’s oracy.

To deliver that, the APPGs have stated that the White Paper must ensure:

• Spoken language is recognised as critical for the development of literacy and numeracy;
• Identifying and tackling underlying difficulties with spoken language is seen as key to tackling illiteracy and innumeracy;
• All children’s spoken language skills, especially those in the more deprived areas, are supported and developed through purposeful and intentional teaching throughout their school years;
• Children with persistent spoken language difficulties receive the support they and their teachers need so they can achieve their educational potential.

The impact of poor language skills is clear. The APPGs argue this can be addressed if spoken language is embedded in the Schools White Paper.

Schools Minister, Robin Walker said: “It is my personal mission to help make England a world leader in literacy, and spoken language development is a core part of those plans.

We have already set an ambitious target for 90 per cent of children leaving primary school to meet the expected standards in reading, writing and maths by 2030.

In the coming weeks and months, my department will set out our long-term plan through the Schools White Paper, to deliver on our ambition for every child to have the right support and the right time to fulfil their potential.”

Emma Hardy MP, Chair of the Oracy APPG: “The Oracy APPG’s extensive inquiry demonstrated that the ability to speak and communicate well and with confidence is at the heart of everything we do – it is vital for children’s attainment, employability, wellbeing and success in life. Teachers know this and want support and information to make this a reality. Following our positive meeting with the Minister and his recognition of the importance of oracy, I am looking forward to seeing this reflected in the Schools White Paper to ensure all children have the same opportunity to develop their oracy skills throughout their time in school, and to build on and consolidate efforts in the Early Years to develop children’s language and communication.”

Geraint Davies MP, Chair of the Speech and Language Difficulties APPG: “Our very positive meeting with the Schools Minister acknowledged the central importance of speech and language in developing literacy and numeracy. We look forward to working with his team on the Schools White Paper and SEN Green Paper to help build a whole-school approach to embedding speech and language in learning with additional support for children who need it. This will improve all our children’s performance and life chances.”

Download the full statement (PDF)

References

Save the Children: Early language development briefing paper (PDF)

Locke, A, Ginsborg, J and Peers, I (2002) Development and Disadvantage: implications for early years. IJLCD. Vol 37:1.