Sections 3 and 4 of the 1988 Education Reform Act include English as one of the compulsory core subjects in the National Curriculum and empower the Secretary of State to specify attainment targets, programmes of study, and assessment arrangements for English for children of compulsory school age. The English Working Group appointed to advise the Secretary of State on English for ages five to 11 reported in September and its recommendations for attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment were published in November alongside the English proposals of the Secretary of State for Education and Science and for Wales. The English Working Group will be reporting on English from 11 to 16 at the end of next month. Dr Barrie Wade, senior lecturer in education, Birmingham University, discusses the report onEnglish for Ages 5 to 11.