The government’s determination to push through a mandatory reading test for Year 8 pupils in England has met with a frosty response from teachers.
In the latest survey by the National Education Union of its members, respondents said that:
- A statutory end-of-year reading test would be the least effective approach to identifying pupils in need of additional help.
- A statutory end-of-year reading test would be the least effective approach to supporting pupils in need of additional help.
- Such a test would narrow the curriculum, both within English (62 per cent) and across other subjects (52 per cent).
- 78 per cent of respondents believe it would also lead to increase in workload and administrative burdens.
- Just one in seven (14 per cent) said that a reading test would have a positive impact on pupils’ reading for pleasure.
The online survey of 1,480 members of the National Education Union was conducted between 16 June – 5 July 2026.
Identify and Support
Asked which approaches are most effective for identifying pupils who need support, teachers put professional judgements supported by strong relationships first. In a multiple-choice question, they told us:
Four fifths (79 per cent) put emphasis on relationship-based approaches such as classroom observation and conversations with pupils. Also effective were discussions with colleagues (66 per cent) and parents (40 per cent) and the use of existing and non-statutory assessment methods. Statutory year end tests came bottom (31 per cent).
When it came to supporting pupils with identified additional needs, the most effective methods were strongly linked to parental engagement (62 per cent). Assessment practices were generally seen as less useful at this stage, while the perceived value of a statutory end of year test was notably lower (23 per cent).
It is clear that teachers already identify pupils who need additional support with reading through classroom observation, independent work, reading activities and ongoing interactions with pupils. A statutory test is therefore unlikely to provide significant new insight and may simply confirm challenges that schools already understand.
However, there is limited confidence that schools are adequately resourced to provide the additional support these pupils require.
Only a little over half (55 per cent) are confident that their schools have the resource levels needed, rising slightly in primary schools (59 per cent). Secondary teachers are the least assured with just 8 per cent ‘very confident’.
The NEU believes that rather than investing in yet another layer of assessment, government should prioritise early intervention, specialist support, teacher development, targeted literacy programmes, and small-group and one-to-one support for pupils who need it most.
Narrowing the Curriculum
NEU members expressed significant concern about the impact of a statutory reading test on an already overloaded curriculum. Although the government argues that pupils will not need to revise for a statutory Year 8 reading test, teachers will still be expected to prepare them for the knowledge and skills assessed.
A majority foresee a narrowing of the curriculum in English (62 per cent) and around a half in other subjects (52 per cent), while 78 per cent think it will result in increased workload demands for staff.
There was also strong concern about the longer-term implications for school accountability. A clear majority (86 per cent) believe that introducing a statutory test could create pressure for results to be used within performance and accountability frameworks.
Research shows the negative mental health impacts of repeated testing in primary education. Nearly 80 per cent of parents believe SATs harm the mental health of 10-11-year-olds. Concern is even greater among parents of children with special educational needs and disability (SEND).
Teachers work some of the longest hours in Europe and regularly work more unpaid overtime than most other professions. The DfE’s Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders survey shows full-time teachers working around 50 hours a week and leaders around 56.5 hours a week.
Reading for Pleasure
The government’s plan for a statutory test goes beyond the advice of the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recommended diagnostic checks to support teaching and learning but did not recommend a compulsory national reading test.
Existing assessment pressures already reduce time for independent reading and broader literacy activities. The National Literacy Trust’s latest Annual Literacy Survey found that the gap in reading enjoyment between pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers has more than doubled in the past year while the gap in daily reading also widened.
Within this context, we asked members to reflect on how the Year 8 test will impact Reading for Pleasure in their school.
Teachers are more likely to expect a new test to harm rather than help reading for pleasure. Just 14 per cent expect a "very positive" or "positive" impact overall, dropping to 5 per cent amongst respondents working in primary and nursery settings. One in five (20 per cent) expect a ‘very negative’ impact. Secondary English teachers are much more likely to perceive harm (56 per cent) than Other Secondary (43 per cent).
Many respondents felt that introducing an additional statutory test risked changing how pupils perceive reading. As one commented:
"No test is pleasure. Students will see reading as a test: it sucks the enjoyment out of it all. Reading is already in strong competition with screens; it'll make it worse."
Another told us, "Reading for pleasure drops off significantly at this age… adding yet another statutory test at this time in a child's life will probably be the final nail in the coffin for reading for some children."
It should be kept in mind that the national curriculum requires pupils to “develop the habit of reading widely and frequently for both pleasure and information.” It is the clear opinion of the profession that this will not be helped by a statutory Year 8 reading test.
The PISA results published this month, and the OECD’s analysis of them, suggest that global declines in reading attainment are driven by decreases in reading for pleasure (amongst other factors). As such, anything that risks damaging the development of reading for pleasure also poses a threat to reading attainment.
What remains unclear is how an additional statutory test would improve reading engagement or reduce inequalities. Instead, it risks reinforcing the pressures that already undermine reading for pleasure.
Role of libraries and reading resources
When asked, NEU members highlighted the value of libraries in widening access to books and building engagement. However, provision and access is highly uneven.
In a multiple-choice question, teachers identified the most valuable contribution libraries made to supporting and promoting a love of reading: providing a wide range of accessible texts and genres (85 per cent of respondents). Increasing engagement (75 per cent) and promoting wellbeing (62 per cent) were also significant factors.
The survey suggests that resource shortages may also present a further barrier. While most teachers reported their school had an onsite library space (91 per cent), staffing was much more varied. Just over one third of respondents (37 per cent) reported that their library was managed by dedicated, trained staff, but a similar proportion (35 per cent) said that theirs was unstaffed.
Access is also unequal when looking at socioeconomic disadvantage. Teachers in the most deprived schools were far more likely to report having no library at all, with 19 per cent of respondents in the highest deprivation quintile lacking a library compared to just 4 per cent in the least deprived.
Recommendations
The NEU is calling on the government to:
- Reverse the decision to introduce a statutory Year 8 reading test, which risks narrowing the curriculum, drives teaching to the test, and undermines reading for pleasure.
- Give educators the time, training, and resources to deliver a new broad, balanced curriculum that supports reading attainment and fosters a lifelong love of reading.
- Provide sustainable funding and staffing so schools can deliver evidence-based interventions, including small group reading for pleasure programmes, and targeted one to one literacy support where needed.
- Invest in school libraries and reading resources across primary and secondary education to ensure all students can access a diverse range of texts and authors that support literacy, independent research and critical thinking.
Commenting on the findings, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The Year 8 reading test is not needed nor wanted. It will increase accountability pressures and incentivise the narrowing of the curriculum even further. No lessons have been learned from the harm done by SATs and the wider ‘exam factory’ culture. This is not the way to unlock a passion for reading and learning.
“This test is more likely to lead to reading as a chore rather than a point of enjoyment or enrichment. The Education Select Committee was right to identify that the education system remains unbalanced and driven by assessment at the expense of engagement, identity and enjoyment. They are shooting themselves in the foot by undermining their own Reading for Pleasure agenda.
“What schools really need are the resources to provide early identification and targeted support. This should come sooner than Year 8 and form part of a wider effort to ensure there is a broad and balanced curriculum for all.”