Subject associations outline a vision for English education, emphasising meaning-making, cultural participation and intellectual ambition

The National Association for the Teaching of English and the United Kingdom Literacy Association have published a joint set of Statements of Principle responding to the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review. Drawing on extensive classroom practice and research, our statements outline a shared vision of what a future English curriculum should provide for every young person.

The principles argue that:

Reading should be understood as a cumulative, meaning-making discipline that extends beyond decoding to include vocabulary, knowledge, inference, interpretation, the evaluation of (mis-/dis-)information, and reading for pleasure.
Writing should be recognised as a complex act of meaning-making and social participation, supported by explicit but non-reductive teaching of language, engagement with authentic texts, and strong communities of writers.
Drama should be embedded across primary and secondary phases, enriching comprehension, composition and cultural participation.
Grammar should be taught as a resource for understanding and as a set of choices, strengthening metalinguistic awareness rather than encouraging compliance-driven feature spotting.
Media and multimodal texts should form an integral part of the curriculum, reflecting the forms of communication that shape contemporary life.
Oracy should be foregrounded as a mode of thinking and participation in its own right.
GCSE reform should prioritise authenticity, critical judgement and purposeful communication rather than formulaic responses.

Across all phases of education, the organisations advocate for clear progression, professional trust in teachers, and an approach that recognises English as a socially situated, culturally responsive and intellectually ambitious subject. The statements emphasise that curriculum reform must enable all learners to become knowledgeable readers, thoughtful writers, confident speakers and critically engaged participants in society.

NATE and UKLA call on the Department for Education to engage with the full Statements of Principle as the curriculum is written, using them as a resource in the development of a more empowering and equitable model of English education.