Steve Brine MP has welcomed the announcement that reforms to the national curriculum have seen the best reading standards in England for over 15 years.
In 2010 the government announced that all schools would be required to use phonics to teach children to read. Since then, England has risen to joint 8th in the world for reading standards, improving the reading level of pupils from all backgrounds.
This follows official statistics, released last week, which show 15,100 children in Winchester & Chandler's Ford are now attending schools rated good or outstanding – an increase of 4,237 children since 2010. Every school in the constituency remains 'good' or 'outstanding'.
Steve Brine MP said: "This is great news for local parents and their children. I stay very close to schools in my patch and have witnessed for myself the transformation in both Ofsted ratings and performance over the past seven and a half years doing this job.
"I am clear, particularly as I meet regularly with the Education Secretary, Justine Greening, as well as the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, that standards in our schools are rising because of the changes we have made to the curriculum and above all the hard work of teaching staff. They are the backbone of our society in so many ways and I see that every time I visit a school.
"These results really back up that we are building a Britain fit for the future, and makes sure that every child gets the best start in life."
Pictured; Steve Brine with children from the school council at Hiltingbury Infant School.
