Three-year pilot launched to boost literacy skills in schoolchildren

Nation.Cymru staff

An ambitious new three-year literacy programme aimed at narrowing the reading attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils is being rolled out across schools in the Welsh capital.

Cardiff Council has announced a city-wide partnership with education provider Monster Phonics which could eventually support up to 63,000 children in Welsh and English-medium schools.

The initiative will provide schools with access to phonics teaching resources, teacher training, assessment tools and targeted reading support designed to improve literacy outcomes from Reception through to Key Stage 3.

Council officials say the programme forms a key part of Cardiff’s wider Reading Framework and aims to reduce the reading disadvantage gap within three years.

The project will focus particularly on supporting pupils eligible for free school meals, children with additional learning needs, multilingual learners and children in care.

Twenty primary schools in Cardiff already use the Monster Phonics system, with the new pilot expanding access across primary, secondary and special schools throughout the city.

Schools choosing to take part will receive access to the full phonics programme and digital tools, alongside shared assessment systems and a city-wide reading dashboard designed to track progress and attainment.

Cardiff Council said the initiative would help create a more consistent approach to teaching reading skills while still allowing schools to retain autonomy over which phonics methods they use.

A council spokesperson said: “Early reading is the foundation for success, and this three-year pilot marks an important step in our commitment to giving every child in Cardiff the strongest possible start in reading and literacy and to remove barriers of disadvantage in developing the fundamental skills of reading for development of learning and life chances.

“By offering a consistent and coherent, city-wide approach to high-quality phonics training and resources, we are removing barriers, supporting our schools financially and taking practical action to close the attainment gap.”

The authority said the pilot would gather comparative data over the next three years to measure its impact on literacy standards and help shape future education policy and investment decisions.

‘Commitment’

Monster Phonics founder Ingrid Connors said the programme reflected a shared commitment to improving reading outcomes for children across Cardiff.

“This initiative reflects the very heart of Monster Phonics and why it was created: to ensure every child has the strongest possible start in reading, regardless of background, starting point or school,” she said.

“What stands out is the shared commitment to supporting teachers and school staff through high quality professional development, while fully respecting the autonomy of schools to choose the approaches that work best for their communities.”

The council said the initiative aligned with Welsh Government priorities around literacy, inclusion and school improvement.