Children's enjoyment in writing in their spare time plunges to lowest level in 14 years, data shows

Children and young people’s enjoyment of writing and daily writing habits have reached “crisis point”, according to research from the National Literacy Trust (NLT).  

The newly published survey, "Children and Young People’s Writing in 2024", showed less than a third (29%) of children say they enjoy writing in their free time – the lowest level recorded by the charity since it first started surveying children about their writing in 2010.  

The research of eight to 18-year-olds also showed only one in nine (11%) write daily in their free time, halving in the past 12 months (19% in 2023). Around a third (36%) say they rarely or never write in their free time, up 13% from last year, according to the survey of 76,000 UK children and young people. 

The NLT shared further insights from the 32-page report: “Children’s enjoyment of writing and daily writing habits peak when they start primary school but steadily decline until they leave secondary school; indeed three times as many children aged five to eight than those aged 14-16 say they enjoy writing (67% vs 22%) and five times as many say they write something daily in their free time (42% vs 8%). Meanwhile, more girls than boys enjoy writing (35% vs 22%) and write daily (13% vs 9%).” 

“Young people’s writing skills are a cause for concern” and “are at a crisis point” the NLT said. “Last year, three in 10 (29%) 11-year-olds left primary school without the writing skills expected for their age, while a third (35%) of 16-year-olds did not achieve a grade four or above in English and maths GCSEs; with those from disadvantaged backgrounds worse affected. 

However while children’s enjoyment of writing at home is in sharp decline, more reported enjoying it at school. More than half of children and young people (54%) say they enjoy writing at school, a 22% (10 percentage points) uplift in just the past year. 

The research also showed that more children and young people who receive free school meals said they enjoyed writing in their free time than their peers (34% vs 26%) and wrote daily outside school (15% vs 10%) - this demographic also enjoyed writing at school than their peers (57% vs 51%). 

The NLT has asked that after the general election, the Department for Education’s writing framework “reflect the importance of writing for enjoyment for children’s cognitive, social and emotional development; in much the same way that its updated reading framework now includes the importance of developing a reading for pleasure culture”. 

Jonathan Douglas, NLT chief executive, said: “With children and young people’s enjoyment of writing at an all-time low, and high numbers leaving primary and secondary school without the writing skills they need to thrive, children’s futures are being put at risk. 

“Reflecting the importance of creative writing and writing for enjoyment in the Department for Education’s forthcoming writing framework would be a major step towards this aim and towards helping more children discover a love of writing which can transform their lives.”