Concerns grow over rate of kids failing literacy in Staffordshire and Cheshire

There are urgent calls for more to be done to address what's being described as a 'cost of literacy' crisis among early years children across Staffordshire and Cheshire.

It's claimed cross-society failure to support early years communication and language development is leading to a literacy crisis for children as young as five.

Experts say this could be costing the economy millions for every year group starting school through the loss of lifetime earnings and increased government spend, according to a new study.

New research estimates that around 106,000 five-year-olds in England in a single year group did not meet the expected level of literacy. It was conducted by Pro Bono Economics (PBE), KPMG UK and the National Literacy Trust.

The findings come as the National Literacy Trust launches its new five-year campaign, Early Words Matter, which offers early support to 250,000 children in the most disadvantaged areas of the country, while also raising awareness of the critical role the early years play in social mobility.

Alan Barrett, storyteller and poet from Stoke Reads and National Literacy Trust Literacy Champion in Staffordshire, said:

"We have an academic situation in this country where academic achievement with core subjects is considerable more important than learning for fun. Tragic. These children are the end product of an education system that's been failing children for years and years.

"It's great what the National Literacy Trust are doing. It needs to work with business and all educators to make sure we get back to learning for fun. Reading for fun. And when children get comfortable again with books, they will want to go to the library. And their parents will be encouraged by their children to go to the library."

Addressing the wider impact

The report found that insufficient literacy skills support early on will generate economic costs of around £830mn over the lifetimes of each year group of five-year-olds, or £7,800 per child on average. This comprises of a £5,300 loss in potential earnings per child over their lifetime, and £2,500 in additional education, social and welfare spending and reduced tax receipts for the government. For each school year group, the government will lose an estimated £270 million – £50 million in increased education and welfare spending and £220 million in lower tax take.

These costs are expected to increase without action, as the number of children impacted is likely to have grown in recent years. A greater number of families have been unable to access the right early years support in the wake of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

Two-fifths (43,000) of children not meeting the expected level of literacy live in deprived areas of the country.

In Stoke-on-Trent and Halton, the two worst affected locally and in the country, nearly a third of five-year-olds failed their literacy.

New campaign to help

National Literacy Trust’s Early Words Matter campaign calls on the Government and the business community to commit to working together to provide better early years support to families from disadvantaged communities. It is endorsed by members of the National Literacy Trust’s national Business Council, made up of senior leaders from businesses as diverse as KPMG, Greggs, WHSmith, British Land, and Very Group.

Jonathan Douglas CBE, CEO of the National Literacy Trust, said:

“We know that experiencing poverty has a huge effect on a child’s early communication, language and literacy skills, and that this will have consequences for their learning, their confidence, their wellbeing, and their ability to thrive for the rest of their lives. We are urgently calling on both the Government and the business community to commit to supporting our campaign to reach 250,000 young children in the next five years with flagship programmes and local community outreach in areas worst hit by poverty and the cost-of-living crisis.”

Matt Whittaker, CEO of Pro Bono Economics, said:

“Cross-sector solutions are essential to support families, early years settings and communities to overcome the literacy crisis.”

Rachel Hopcroft, Partner and Head of Corporate Affairs at KPMG UK, said:

“At age five, far too many children are needlessly falling short of the expected standard, this not only impacts our economy, but it curtails access to career opportunities and earnings potential later in life - especially among those from deprived backgrounds."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.