Pupils fall behind in literacy

Standards of literacy and English in schools have stalled and the country is falling behind other leading nations, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England is due to warn today.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, claims one in five pupils, about 100,000, do not achieve the expected literacy levels by the end of primary school, rising to one in three from disadvantaged backgrounds. One in seven adults also lack basic literacy skills.

But teaching unions argued progress had been made in English and Sir Michael was "picking and choosing information to support a predetermined view".