National Literacy Trust One in six people in the UK struggle to read, write and communicate We believe that society will only be fair when everyone can communicate as well as they need We deliver projects, campaign, investigate and innovate, share knowledge and work in partnership to transform lives through literacy We are an independent charity

Poor literacy excludes 95% of all employment in the UK requires employees to be able to read 41% of employers are concerned about their employees’ basic literacy skills 76% of C2DE parents see no link between literacy skills and success in life 50% of all offenders leaving prison are unable to read Men and women with the poorest literacy or numeracy skills were the least likely to have voted in the 1987 and 1997 general election. POOR SELF- ESTEEM UNDER ACHIEVEMENT WORKLESSNESS

Literacy: a lever for policy Improve productivity, skills and economic performance (PSAs 1, 2 and 7) Maximise employment opportunities for all (PSA 8) Halve child poverty (PSA 9) Raise educational attainment, narrowing the gap in attainment (PSAs 10 & 11) Improve health and wellbeing (PSA 12) Build more cohesive, empowered and active communities (PSA 21)

Reading KS Level Boys75%82% Girls82%87%

Enjoying Reading at Year Boys70%55% Girls85%75% Source: Sainsbury & Schagen 2004

Getting stuck at 84% - adults and children therefore focus on the 16% Where’s the pleasure going? Behaviour and attitude. Reading: the biggies

The need for a multi-agency model Reach to priority audiences – golden opportunities to reach the 1 in 6 Sustainability Service improvement and efficiencies Workforce development

Evidence from Rochdale MBC Since 2005: The most improved primary schools nationally A 50% increase in uptake of adult basic skills courses Most improved KS2 results nationally from Helped to end child poverty by breaking the cycle of worklessness in households suffering from inter-generational unemployment “I used to nag, nag, nag but now I know how to help my child.”

What parents do (and where) is more important than who they are: Parental involvement is the most important determinant of language development Parents’ interest in reading is a more powerful force than social class, family size and level of parental education The earlier parents become involved the more powerful the impact Research suggests attainment can be predicted from eighteen months Low literacy rates are associated with disadvantage

Hart and Risley “This was our most surprising discovery: that the size of the differences between families in the amount of talk to babies is so enormous – and that those differences add up to massive advantages or disadvantages for children in language experience long before they start preschool.”

The result – a multi-agency approach to literacy focusing on: Families with children aged birth to five Particularly those families with children aged birth to five who are disadvantaged in some way, for example: –Foster carers –Teen parents –Parents in temporary housing –Asylum seekers

: testing the PiL approach Community-wide awareness & support Awareness: parents & carers are aware of their role in supporting child’s literacy Access: families access local services that support literacy in the home Action: parents & carers support literacy within the home

Community outcomes: Improved educational attainment Improved employability/employment Positive health outcomes Community engagement/participation Family outcomes: Increased parental confidence Literacy activity in home Expectations of achievement Parental involvement in education Individual outcomes: Increased literacy skills and confidence Raised educational outcomes Employment, further education, training Volunteering, community participation

What is the PiL model for local authorities? Establishing need, identifying target audiences, mapping provision and partners Developing and extending partnerships Bringing together provision and improving it Focusing on sustainability – advocacy and planning Capturing impact

The National Network Year One Pilots: Knowsley Sheffield Derbyshire Wiltshire Year Two Pilots: Knowsley Sheffield Derbyshire Wiltshire Coventry Suffolk Lambeth Kent Gateshead Partner authorities: Barnet Hackney Halton Luton Oldham Peterborough Rochdale Rotherham Staffordshire Stockport Stoke-on-Trent Suffolk Tameside