Teachers have criticised the government’s plans to introduce a compulsory reading test for Year 8 pupils in England, according to a survey by the National Education Union (NEU).
The survey of 1,480 NEU members, conducted between 16 June and 5 July 2026, found that teachers preferred other measures, such as professional judgement, classroom observation and conversations with pupils, to identify children needing additional reading support.
Four in five respondents (79%) said relationship-based approaches were effective, while statutory end-of-year testing ranked lowest, at 31%.
Teachers also warned that the proposed test could narrow the curriculum and increase workloads. Some 62% foresee a narrowing of the curriculum in English, while 52% predicted a narrowing of the curriculum in other subjects. Almost eight in ten (78%) said the test would increase workload and administrative demands.
There was also concern about the impact on reading for pleasure. Only 14% of respondents believed the test would have a positive effect, while one in five expected a very negative impact. Teachers said compulsory testing could risk turning reading into a chore rather than an enjoyable activity.
The survey found that schools may also lack the resources needed to support pupils identified as struggling readers. Just 55% of respondents were confident their schools had sufficient resources, falling to only 8% of secondary teachers who said they were “very confident”.
Teachers highlighted libraries, access to a wide range of books and parental engagement as more effective ways of encouraging reading. However, provision remains uneven, with 19% of teachers in the most deprived schools reporting that their school had no library, compared with 4% in the least deprived schools.
The NEU is calling on the government to abandon the proposed Year 8 test and instead invest in early intervention, specialist support, teacher training, literacy programmes and school libraries.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede 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."
