Week beginning 10th June 2024 – phonics screening week for Year 1 and some children in Year 2

What is the phonics screening check?

The phonics screening check is a quick check of your child’s ability to decode words using his or her phonics knowledge. The check is a statutory requirement and takes place in the beginning of Summer term 2, when the children are in Year 1. It helps us to confirm whether your child has met the expected standard for a child at the end of Year 1.

Children who did not meet the expected standard or were unable to take the check in Year 1, will take the check again at the end of Year 2.

How does it work?

Your child was asked to read 40 words aloud to a teacher who is known to him or her.

Your child may have read some of the words before, while others would have been completely new.

The check took only a few minutes to complete and there was no time limit.

Meeting the expected standard

In order for children to demonstrate that they have met the expected standard in phonics decoding, they have to score at least 32 marks in the phonics screening check. Children who have scored fewer than 32 marks are considered not to have met the expected standard in phonics de-coding. Any child who has not met the expected standard will be given additional support in phonics to help him or her to improve. The nature of this support will vary depending on how close to the threshold he / she was.