If you've taught Year 1 for any length of time, you'll know the Phonics Screening Check tends to take up more space in the school year than 40 words really should.
In theory it's a short, low-stakes assessment. In practice, the build-up can start after Easter and not really ease off until every child has sat it. This post isn't about doing more. It's about what's actually worth doing in the weeks before, and what isn't.
Quick answer: The Phonics Screening Check is a short statutory assessment taken by Year 1 children in England in June. They read 40 words (20 real, 20 pseudo) one-to-one with a teacher. The most useful preparation is consistent phonics teaching across the year, plus low-pressure practice with pseudo words in the final half-term. Last-minute cramming rarely helps.
What the check actually is
The Phonics Screening Check is a statutory assessment for Year 1 children in England, taken during a set week in June. Children read 40 words one-to-one with a familiar adult. Twenty are real words, twenty are pseudo words: made-up words designed to test pure decoding rather than memory.
The pass mark sits at 32 out of 40 most years, though the DfE technically confirms it each year. Children who don't reach the standard retake the check in Year 2.
That's the whole thing. No time limit. No comprehension. No spelling. Just decoding, one child at a time.
Why pseudo words trip children up
Pseudo words are the bit that catches a lot of children out, and it isn't usually because they can't decode them. Children who have spent a year being told to make sense of words on the page will often look at "strom" and confidently read "storm", because they're reaching for a word they already know.
The check is designed to stop that working. Each pseudo word sits next to a small alien picture, which tells the child the word isn't real. It's a cue, not a trick, but children do need to be familiar with it before the day.
A child who has never seen a pseudo word with an alien next to it can spend the first few of them confused, and that confusion often carries into the real words too. A few minutes of exposure in March or April usually sorts this out.
What's worth doing in the spring term
Consistent daily phonics is doing most of the work here, and you don't need to overhaul anything. A few small adjustments in the final half-term are usually enough.
Build in regular pseudo word practice. Two or three a day, mixed in with real words. The DfE publishes past papers, and they're genuinely useful for getting children used to the format.
Revisit the trickier graphemes. By Year 1 most children are secure on single sounds and common digraphs, but the longer vowel graphemes like "igh", "ear", "ure" and "air" can still wobble under pressure. A short focused recap on these in May tends to make more difference than a general review.
Practise reading words at a normal pace. Some children, once they know they're being assessed, start over-sounding everything in a way that makes blending harder. Modelling smooth blending in everyday lessons helps with this.
At Silly School we've made phonics songs for single sounds, digraphs and trigraphs, and the pattern that keeps showing up is that the shorter and more repeatable the song, the better children remember the sound. Familiar songs from earlier in the year are useful to come back to in the weeks before the check.
What isn't worth doing
Mock checks every week from April onwards. Children get bored of the format, and the data doesn't tell you much you don't already know from daily teaching.
Intensive interventions for children who are already comfortably on track. The time is better spent on the children who are close to the threshold.
Sending pseudo word lists home for parents to drill. Most parents find pseudo words baffling, and even well-meaning practice at home can introduce mispronunciations that then have to be unpicked. A short note explaining what the check is, and a request to keep reading together, tends to be more useful than a worksheet.
Talking about the check as a test. Children pick up on the language. Calling it a "reading check" keeps the temperature down.
Identifying borderline children early
You'll usually have a good sense by Easter of which children are secure, which are comfortably on track, and which are close to the threshold. That last group is where focused attention pays off.
A short diagnostic with past paper words can sharpen the picture. If a child is fine on real words but stumbles on pseudo words, it's usually a confidence issue with the format rather than a decoding problem. If they struggle on both, look at which graphemes are causing the wobble and target those.
Children who are significantly behind by this point may need a longer-term plan that runs into Year 2, and the check itself matters less than the conversation about what they need next. The retake exists for a reason.
The week itself
Keep everything as normal as possible. Children sit the check one-to-one with a teacher they know, in a familiar room, at a familiar time of day if you can manage it.
Some children will be nervous. A short, calm explanation just before, something like "we're going to read some words together, some are real and some are made-up, take your time", does more than weeks of build-up.
And it's worth remembering that the check is one moment in a child's reading journey, not a verdict on it. Children who don't pass in Year 1 very often pass comfortably in Year 2, and many go on to be confident readers either way. That's worth saying out loud to a worried parent if it comes up.
Phonics preparation done well looks a lot like phonics teaching done well. There isn't a separate strategy for the check. Consistent daily practice, a bit of format familiarity, and a calm tone in the weeks before is most of what works.
The pseudo words are the unusual bit, and the only part that genuinely benefits from specific preparation. Everything else is the teaching you're already doing.
If your class is in a reasonable place by Easter, you're in a reasonable place for June.
Silly School Education has phonics songs and videos covering single sounds, digraphs, trigraphs and tricky words, used in classrooms across the UK for daily sound practice in Reception and Year 1.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Phonics Screening Check taken?
It takes place in a set week in June each year, with the exact dates published by the DfE annually. Schools administer it across that week rather than on a single fixed day.
What is the pass mark for the Phonics Screening Check?
The threshold has been 32 out of 40 for most recent years, though the DfE confirms the figure each year and it can technically change. The pass mark isn't published until after the check has been taken.
What happens if a child doesn't pass in Year 1?
Children who don't reach the expected standard retake the check in Year 2. This is built into the system and is not a cause for alarm. Many children pass comfortably on the retake.
How long does the check take per child?
There is no time limit, and the check is paced to suit the child rather than rushed. Most take a few minutes.
Should I tell parents the exact pass mark before the check?
There isn't an official pass mark published before the check is taken, so it's more useful to talk to parents about what the check measures and how their child is progressing, rather than focusing on a specific number.
Are the pseudo words the same every year?
No. The check is updated each year, so past papers are useful for format practice but not for memorising specific words. The DfE publishes past papers on gov.uk after each year's check.
Can children with SEND be exempt from the check?
There are limited circumstances in which a child can be disapplied, set out in the DfE assessment and reporting arrangements. Most children with SEND take the check with appropriate access arrangements, such as enlarged text or extra time, rather than being exempt.