In Ofsted’s publication, Strong Foundations in the First Years of School (October 2024), there are powerful messages about the importance of laying the right foundations for pupils’ learning, from the very beginning.

The study highlights that schools have been routinely pushing on with curriculum content, without being curious enough about whether pupils have secured the basics before moving on. This drive towards rapid progress at all costs has had long-term implications for success at both Year 6 and Year 11. It is unfortunately the most vulnerable pupils who are most disadvantaged from these gaps in core concepts and skills. 

At St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust (STCAT), we have established approaches that ensure pupils are supported to build secure foundations from the start. This is true especially in our important work to help children learn to read.

At the end of Year 1 in England, pupils are required to take the Phonics Screening Check, a random check of 40 sounds that pupils should be able to fluently recall.

Nationally, around 80% of pupils at the end of Year 1 meet this standard.

For the second year in a row, 87% of pupils in our schools passed the check at the end of Year 1. This is an established hallmark of the fierce commitment our schools share to help children make the best start on their educational journey. 

Supporting pupils to be fluent 

When we consider learning outcomes, the term fluency can apply to many disciplines. In essence, it is about the degree to which a learner can recall knowledge and skills with both accuracy and automaticity. This is demonstrating correct understanding with increasing speed. 

Therefore, fluency cannot happen by accident. It requires careful curriculum planning, ensuring that concepts and component knowledge are introduced in the best order, step by step. It also requires expertise from teachers and support staff to provide the right quality practice that builds pupils’ confidence and ability over time. 

In STCAT schools, we have provided staff with the knowledge they need to provide high-quality teaching from the point children start school. We recognise that securing the foundational knowledge and skills pupils need is critical for longer-term success, especially for our most vulnerable pupils.

This is at the heart of our Trust mission, to equip every single pupil well for their future. The UK government (Department for Education) has set an ambitious target for 90% of pupils to meet the expected standard in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check by the end of the parliament in 2029.

Our ambitions are already supporting us to be performing well against this target, and we won’t stop there! 

Keeping the foundations alive as pupils grow 

Teachers need to reinforce basic concepts when introducing new curriculum content because new learning is built on pupils’ prior knowledge. When foundational understanding is secure, pupils are more able to make connections, apply concepts in different contexts, and retain learning over time. 

Revisiting key ideas reduces the pressure on pupils’ brains to deal with too much at once. This allows them to focus their attention on understanding new material rather than struggling with gaps in what they have previously learned before.

In lessons, our teachers know to provide regular reinforcement of prior learning to strengthen memory, through retrieval and repetition.

By giving all pupils the best start and keeping the foundations in place, we are providing the underpinning support our pupils need to build their future success, without limits or boundaries.