Leighton Andrews, Minister for Education and Skills
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
I am pleased to announce today the publication of the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF). The LNF is a key part of our National Literacy and Numeracy Programmes which set out the actions that will be taken by the Welsh Government and our partners over the next five years to transform standards of literacy and numeracy in Wales. It sets clear national expectations for the teaching of literacy and numeracy and will be a critically important driver of improvement.
I am determined that teachers and schools will be fully supported in implementing the LNF and improving literacy and numeracy standards. I am, therefore, also pleased to announce the new National Support Programme. As I set out in my statement of 5 December, we are investing over £7m in this Programme to offer direct support to schools and teachers to help them implement the LNF effectively to bring about improvements in the way that literacy and numeracy is taught in schools. The National Support Programme will be launched four regional events that will take place in March. These events will also provide further useful information to schools on the reading and numeracy tests.
In addition to the National Support Programme, a suite of on-line bilingual guidance and training materials is currently being developed to help schools implement the LNF before the framework becomes statutory in September 2013. The first of these materials, the curriculum planning guidance and training workshops, has also today been published on the Learning Wales website.
The LNF will become a statutory curriculum requirement from September 2013, with formal assessment against the LNF becoming a requirement from September 2014. As part of phased approach to the requirement to undertake assessments against the LNF. Schools will have a full academic year to focus on embedding the LNF into their curriculum planning and their teaching and learning before being required to assess pupils progress against it. There has been no change to the timeline for the introduction of reading and numeracy tests, which will be introduced in May 2013.