What the Latest Data Tells Us About Reading and Writing in England

Dr Eleni Savva

Thu, May 08, 25

5 minutes read

What the Latest Data Tells Us About Reading and Writing in England

The Department for Education (DfE) in the UK has released the latest Key Stage 2 (which is equivalent to Grades 3-6 in the US) attainment statistics for the 2023/24 academic year, offering a detailed snapshot of how England’s Year 6 students are performing in reading, writing, and other core subjects. As always, these results are more than just numbers – they’re a reflection of our children’s learning journeys, the challenges they’ve faced, and the progress being made in classrooms across the country. Here’s Mrs Wordsmith’s analysis of everything you need to know from the DfE’s findings.

Headline Results: Reading and Writing

The 2023/2024 data shows a modest but meaningful improvement in attainment compared to the year prior. In reading, 74% of students reached the expected standard, up from 73% the previous year. In writing, 72% met the expected standard, a slight increase from 71% in 2023. However, this also means that 26% of children are below the expected standard for reading, and 28% are below for writing.While these figures are encouraging, they are still below pre-pandemic levels. For example, in both 2018 and 2019, 78% of students met the expected standard in writing. The lingering effects of the pandemic (particularly the disruption to learning during Years 2 and 3) continue to be felt in these results.

The Bigger Picture: Combined Attainment

When you look at reading, writing, and maths together, 61% of students met the expected standard in all three subjects, up from 60% in 2023. However, this is still below the 65% seen in 2019, highlighting that a significant proportion of students are not yet where they need to be as they leave primary school.

Who’s Struggling Most?

The data reveals persistent gaps for certain groups:

Disadvantaged Students: Only 46% of disadvantaged students met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to 67% of their peers. There's still a 22% gap between these groups.
Special Educational Needs (SEN): Just 22% of students with SEN met the expected standard in all three core subjects, although this is a slight improvement from the year before.
Gender: Girls continue to outperform boys in all subjects except mathematics, where boys have a slight edge. The gap is especially pronounced in writing, with a 13% gap between both genders.

Regional and Local Differences

London remains the highest-performing region, with 69% of students meeting the expected standard in reading, writing, and mathematics combined. In contrast, the lowest-performing regions are around 58–62%. At the local authority level, Richmond upon Thames tops the table with 76%, while the Isle of Wight is at the bottom with just 51%.

What Does This All Mean for Parents and Educators?

These results highlight both progress and ongoing challenges. The incremental improvements in reading and writing are encouraging. That being said, the fact that more than a quarter of children are still below the expected standard in these vital skills is a call to action. Addressing the needs of disadvantaged students and those with SEN remains crucial if we are to close the gaps and ensure every child leaves primary school ready to thrive.

At Mrs Wordsmith, we’ve always been committed to closing these gaps. From our video games to our card games to our printables and our books, we design research-backed resources that help children gain the skills and confidence they need to become masterful readers and storytellers. Why not check our extensive range out and see what’s there?