Children complete a word-reading check at the end of Year 1 to ensure they are being taught to read successfully with phonics as the route to decoding.

Children read 40 words – 20 real words and 20 pseudo words. It takes between two and five minutes.

If they do not manage to read 32 of the words, they are given extra support, and repeat the check at the end of Year 2.

The ‘pass’ mark of 32 is subject to change by the government and schools will be notified some time in June of this figure.

All children at St. Thomas More CVA will be supported to learn phonics using the Little Wandle SSP Programme.

In Autumn 2021 all eligible Year 2 pupils will take the Phonics Screening Check. The Government set out the following guidelines.

Cancellation of the Phonics Screening Check in June 2021 means current Year 2 pupils did not take the check in Year 1. In the 2021 to 2022 academic year, it is statutory for schools to administer a past version of the phonics screening check to Year 2 pupils during the second half of the 2021 Autumn term and return results to their local authority.

The Autumn check is intended to ensure that Year 2 pupils who need support in learning to decode using phonics are not missed.

Year 2 pupils who meet the expected standard in phonics in the 2021 Autumn check will not be required to complete any further statutory assessments in phonics. Year 2 pupils who do not meet the expected standard in the 2021 autumn check will be expected to take the statutory check in June 2022, alongside Year 1 pupils.

Year 3 pupils who did not pass in the statutory check in Year 2 during 2020-21, are not required to take the Autumn check. However, at St. Thomas More we shall be administrating the check to these pupils so we can continue to monitor their progress and ensure they are reaching expected levels of attainment in reading

Year 1 will take the Phonics Screening check during the Summer term of 2022 – Week commencing Monday 6 June 2022.