Phonics screening check

A short year 1 check of a child's phonic decoding. Forty words, half of them made up.

What it is

The phonics screening check is a statutory assessment taken in year 1 in which a child reads 40 words aloud to a teacher — 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words.

The pseudo-words are there to test decoding rather than recognition of familiar words.

Where it applies

Year 1 pupils in state schools, with a retake in year 2 for those who do not meet the standard.

How it works

There is a threshold mark, published each year, for meeting the expected standard. Results are reported to parents.

Children can be disapplied where a headteacher judges the check inappropriate — for example a child at the very early stages of learning English, or one whose SEND means it would not be a meaningful assessment.

What you can ask for

Ask what the school will do differently if your child does not meet the standard, and when. The check is only useful as a trigger for support.

Ask whether phonics difficulty has prompted any wider assessment. Persistent difficulty decoding is one of the earliest observable signals worth following up.

Where to get help

The class teacher, then the SENCO if difficulty persists into year 2.