The National Literacy Trust has undertaken a substantial piece of research using data from 9,170 pupils aged 8 to 11 who responded to the Annual Literacy Survey : November 2017 and January 2018.

Comments in the report reflect:

• A year-on-year decline in how much pupils aged 8 to 11 enjoy writing and how often they write something that isn’t for school on a daily basis.
• A worrying trend because writing enjoyment and attainment are linked.
• 2016 : 23.2% of children and young people who enjoy writing wrote above the age expected level, but only 3.2% of those who don’t enjoy writing managed this.
• 1 pupil in 5 aged 8 to 11 say that they write something in their free time on a daily basis.

On the positive side, 68.5% of 8 to 11-year-old pupils say they enjoy writing in 2017/18 and 65.9% say it is fun.

The challenge is to help the ones who don’t enjoy writing. The report notes the following:

“The Free Writing Friday initiative by Cressida Cowell aims to remove these barriers in an attempt to boost pupils’ levels of writing enjoyment. The initiative gives pupils a set time every week where they have the freedom to write whatever they want, however they want, without fear of their work being seen, marked or corrected by their teachers, parents or carers. It is hoped that the initiative will create new opportunities for all children to explore their thoughts and ideas through writing, regardless of their attitudes towards writing.”

It would be good to see if your school is aware of this and what plans/ strategies they have to help more children enjoy writing.