General · 4 July 2026
One in Three Pupils Leave School Struggling to Read
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
Falling behind in reading can make lessons harder and raise the risk of missing school. Research by the Fischer Family Trust, using more than a million reading checks across 1,570 schools between 2023 and 2026, found many disadvantaged white Year 6 pupils weren’t ready for secondary education. Around 33% read below 90 words a minute.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs