Front Row Seats: What We've Learned from the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies in England

As the OISE/UT team has followed the literacyand numeracy reforms in England, they have beenexamining them in relation to large-scalereform using a model that considers both thepolicy levers and the local challengesassociated with any attempt to change schoolson a massive scale. In this paper, the authorsdescribe their findings from the first twoyears of what will be a four-year project. Theyconclude that the National Strategies forLiteracy and Numeracy have made significantchanges in primary education throughout Englandin a remarkably short period of time. Thechanges, however, are not yet deep-seatedenough to continue without consistent pressureand support. The next phase of NLS and NNSreform is crucial because it involves deepeningthe teaching practices in classrooms andschools, ensuring that other areas of thecurriculum are progressing apace and, attendingto the generic aspects of the broader structureof the profession.