England confirms mandatory Year 8 reading test at 13

Reading shapes how you access every subject, from science experiments to history sources. England’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has confirmed a new statutory reading check for all pupils at age 13 (Year 8). Speaking to school leaders on 15 October 2025, she called reading “the passport to the rest of their lives,” and said the aim is simple: spot gaps early so no one is left behind. The Department for Education set out the plan in an official announcement.

Here’s the test in plain English: it looks at reading fluency and comprehension - how smoothly you read and how well you understand. It will be taken in school time. The government’s expectation is that pupils do not revise for it; it’s a snapshot to help teachers decide what support will help most.

Who takes it and when? Every pupil in Year 8 in England will sit the check once the policy is in place. Ministers say the timetable and final design will be set out in a forthcoming Schools White Paper after the announcement on 15 October 2025. We’ll update you as dates are confirmed.

How results are used matters. Schools will share each child’s result with parents and carers. Data will also be available to Ofsted and the Department for Education. As with the Year 1 phonics check, individual schools’ results will not be published, so it won’t appear in league tables.

What this means for pupils: you don’t need to cram. Keep reading what you enjoy, bring your normal reading self, and expect familiar texts rather than trick questions. If reading makes you anxious, talk to your teacher about what helps you feel calm and ready. The aim is to understand what support will help you next - not to label you.

What this means for teachers: you’ll get a consistent Year 8 reading picture to inform Key Stage 3 planning. The DfE says secondary teachers will receive new training to support adolescent readers, and there is a £1 million fund for schools with the greatest need to buy programmes and resources for struggling readers. Use the data to plan targeted help, celebrate improvement, and stretch confident readers.

Zooming out to early reading, government has set an ambition for 90% of children to meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. That ambition sits alongside the new Year 8 measure so that progress in the early years is carried through into secondary school.

Enjoyment counts. The National Literacy Trust’s research, highlighted by the DfE, shows children and young people who enjoy reading in their free time are roughly twice as likely to have above‑average reading skills as those who don’t. Making space for reading you actually like is a powerful step for skill and wellbeing.

There’s wider support, too. The government says it will expand help in Reception through the English Hubs programme, alongside early years reforms and family support via Best Start Family Hubs - so the secondary reading push connects to what happens in the early years and at home.

All of this feeds into the National Year of Reading 2026, a nationwide effort to bring schools, families, libraries and businesses together to restart the habit of reading for pleasure. The DfE trailed the campaign earlier this year and says it begins in January 2026 with partners across the country.

Quick reassurance for families: this is not a high‑stakes exam. It’s designed as an information point to guide support. Results won’t be published by school, and the government says pupils aren’t expected to revise for it. Talk to your school about how they’ll share feedback and what extra help or stretch will look like.

What happens next: the Schools White Paper will set the practical details - format, timings, and how the data sits alongside existing assessments. We’ll keep this page updated so pupils, parents and teachers know exactly what to expect, and when.