What guidance do I need to follow?
There are no specific requirements for target-setting.
Your teachers should “use appropriate assessment to set targets, which are deliberately ambitious” as explained in paragraph 4.1 of the National Curriculum framework.
Specific guidance on reading and writing targets
The primary National Curriculum sets out broad targets for reading and writing across primary schools (see paragraph 6.3, page 10).
- Maintained schools: you must follow these targets
- Academies: you should check your funding agreement to see if you follow the National Curriculum for English and use these targets
Whole school targets will be slightly different to individual targets. Read our article on whole school targets for more information.
The guidance in the following sections is based on this report.
What else to consider when setting targets
It's up to your individual school who sets these targets, whether it's your senior leadership team (SLT), year group teams
