What Is the Phonics Screening Check? Everything You Need to Know
Every June, Year 1 children across England sit the phonics screening check. It takes about five minutes. There are 40 words. And it causes more parental anxiety than almost anything else in primary school.
Let's fix that. Here's everything you actually need to know.
What Is the Phonics Screening Check?
The phonics screening check is a short assessment that every child in Year 1 takes in June. It's designed to check whether your child can use phonics — the skill of sounding out and blending letters — to read words.
It's not a test in the traditional sense. There's no pass or fail certificate. No league tables. It's a diagnostic tool that helps teachers identify children who need extra support with reading.
How Does It Work?
Your child sits one-to-one with a teacher (usually their own class teacher). They're shown 40 words on cards and asked to read each one aloud.
The 40 words are split into two sections:
Section 1: 20 words
A mix of real words and "alien words" (also called pseudo-words or nonsense words). These are simpler words using basic phonics patterns.
Section 2: 20 words
More real words and alien words, but these use more complex phonics patterns — digraphs like "sh" and "ch", trigraphs like "igh", and split digraphs like "a-e".
The alien words are printed with a small picture of a monster next to them, so your child knows they're not real words. This is important — it means children can't just recognise the word from memory. They have to actually decode it using phonics.
What's the Pass Mark?
The threshold mark changes slightly each year, but it's typically around 32 out of 40. The Department for Education sets the mark after the check has been administered nationally.
In 2024, approximately 80% of Year 1 children met the expected standard.
When Does It Happen?
The check takes place during a single week in June. In 2026, the phonics screening check week is 9–13 June. Schools can administer it at any point during that week.
Your child's school will likely not make a big deal of it. Most children don't even realise they've done a "test." It feels like a normal reading activity with their teacher.
What Happens If My Child Doesn't Meet the Threshold?
First: don't panic. Not meeting the threshold doesn't mean your child can't read. It means they need more support with phonics decoding specifically.
Here's what happens:
- Extra support in Year 2: Your child's school will provide additional phonics teaching, often in small groups.
- Resit in Year 2: Your child will retake the check in June of Year 2.
- No lasting record: The result doesn't appear on any certificate or follow your child to secondary school.
Many children who don't meet the threshold in Year 1 go on to become confident, fluent readers. It's a snapshot of one skill at one moment in time.
How Can I Help My Child Prepare?
The best preparation isn't drilling word lists. It's building strong phonics foundations through regular, enjoyable practice.
1. Read Together Every Day
This is the single most impactful thing you can do. Read to your child. Read with your child. Let your child read to you. Five to ten minutes a day is plenty.
When your child comes across an unfamiliar word, encourage them to sound it out letter by letter, then blend the sounds together. Resist the urge to just tell them the word.
2. Practise Sounding Out
Play games where you sound out words and your child blends them: "Can you get your c-oa-t?" "Let's find the b-oo-k."
You can also reverse it — say a word and ask your child to break it into sounds.
3. Learn the Alien Words Format
Your child needs to know that some words in the check aren't real. Practise reading made-up words together. Make it silly and fun: "What would a 'brap' be? Maybe it's a type of alien sandwich!"
The key skill is applying phonics to unfamiliar words — which is exactly what alien words test.
4. Cover All the Phonics Phases
The check covers sounds from Letters and Sounds Phases 2 to 5:
- Phase 2: Single letter sounds (s, a, t, p, i, n, etc.)
- Phase 3: Digraphs and trigraphs (sh, ch, th, ai, ee, igh, oa, etc.)
- Phase 4: Consonant clusters (st, cr, bl, tr, etc.)
- Phase 5: Alternative pronunciations and spellings (ay, ou, ie, ea, etc.)
Make sure your child is comfortable with sounds from all phases, not just the simple ones.
5. Use Flashcards
Flashcard practice is one of the most effective ways to build phonics fluency. Show a grapheme (letter or letter combination), ask your child to say the sound, then move on. Keep sessions short — five minutes is ideal.
Spark Learn includes phonics flashcards covering all 44+ sounds across Phases 2 to 5, with audio pronunciation and a spaced repetition system that focuses practice on the sounds your child finds trickiest.
6. Don't Overdo It
Five to ten minutes of phonics practice a day is enough. Any more and you risk turning it into a chore. If your child is getting frustrated, stop. Read a story together instead. Come back to it tomorrow.
What NOT to Do
Don't call it a test
Frame it as "reading some words with your teacher." If your child asks about it, keep things light and matter-of-fact.
Don't cram in the final week
Last-minute drilling creates anxiety without improving outcomes. Steady, regular practice over months is what works.
Don't focus only on alien words
Some parents spend weeks practising nothing but nonsense words. This can actually confuse children who then start second-guessing real words. A balance of real and alien words is better.
Don't compare your child to others
Every child develops at their own pace. A child who doesn't meet the threshold in June might be reading chapter books by Christmas. The check measures one narrow skill at one point in time.
Common Questions
"My child can read whole books. Will they definitely pass?"
Usually, yes. But some fluent readers struggle with the check because they read by recognising whole words rather than decoding. If your child guesses words based on pictures or context rather than sounding them out, it's worth practising phonics decoding specifically.
"Can my child retake it if they're ill?"
Yes. If your child is absent during the check week, the school can administer it during the following week. If they're absent for an extended period, they'll take it in Year 2 instead.
"Do all schools do it?"
All state-funded schools in England must administer the check. Independent schools and schools in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland don't have to, though some choose to.
"Will the school tell me the result?"
Yes. Schools must report the result to parents before the end of the summer term. You'll usually receive it in your child's end-of-year report.
The Bigger Picture
The phonics screening check is one small part of your child's reading journey. It checks whether they can decode — but reading is so much more than decoding. It's comprehension, vocabulary, enjoyment, imagination.
Keep reading together. Keep making it fun. Keep showing your child that books are brilliant.
The check will take care of itself.