FOR PARENTS · YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2
The Year 1 phonics screening check: what it is, the pass mark and what happens next
It is a short check in Year 1 where your child reads words aloud, some real and some made-up. Schools aren't told the pass mark until after it, and children who don't meet it retake it in Year 2.
How Litsee helps: illustrated stories your child steers, written for their age (5 to 11) and read aloud if you like.
Start your free trial7 days free. A card is needed to start.
The phonics screening check is a short check of whether your child can sound out and blend words. It happens in the week beginning Monday 14 June 2027. This guide explains what's in it, the pass mark and why it moves, how to help without drilling, and what to ask if your child hasn't met the standard yet.
By the Litsee team · Last reviewed · About this guide
The phonics check in one minute
“The phonics screening check is statutory for all pupils who have reached the age of 6 by the end of the school year.” For most children that means Year 1 (STA). Schools must give it in the week beginning Monday 14 June 2027 (STA). It checks one thing: whether they can use phonics to read words they haven't seen before, so the school can see who needs more help.
What's in the check: 40 words, real and alien
“It contains 40 words, divided into 2 sections of 20 words, which contain a mixture of real words and pseudo-words.” (STA). The made-up words are there to check decoding, not memory, and “All pseudo-words in the check are accompanied by a picture of an imaginary creature.” (STA leaflet for parents), so children know not to look for a real word.
The pass mark: 32 for years, 31 in 2026, and why it moves
The STA's 2026 materials say: “The 2026 phonics screening check threshold mark is 31.” (STA). The DfE adds: “This is the first change to the expected standard since the check was introduced in 2012, when the threshold was 32.” and “Since 2014, this threshold mark has not been communicated to schools until after the screening check has been completed.” (DfE statistics). The mark can move because each year's words are different, so a slightly harder or easier set needs a slightly different mark. The 2027 mark will be published after the 2027 check, so ignore any website that tells you it in advance.
Practise alien words together
Twenty words written for this page, not taken from any real check: some real, some made-up. Your child reads each one aloud; you tap “Read it” or “Tricky”. There's no score and no pass mark, and nothing is saved. It's practice at sounding out, nothing more.
Word 1 of 20 · real word · sound: ch
chip
Practice words (the ones with a creature on screen are alien words)
- chip
- frog
- shelf
- night
- train
- storm
- cloud
- thick
- vap
- jit
- chom
- thun
- shup
- geck
- zort
- starn
- groop
- noy
- jate
- blerk
Real: the first 8. Alien: the last 12. From litsee.com/guides/phonics-screening-check
How to help at home without drilling
- Read the school book every day you can. The STA's advice to parents: “With all books, encourage your child to ‘sound out’ unfamiliar words and then blend the sounds together from left to right rather than looking at the pictures to guess.” (STA)
- Play with made-up words. Silly names for toys or monsters are alien words in disguise.
- Keep it short and light. A few words a day beats a long session, and past papers aren't needed.
- Keep reading to them for fun. The check is one morning; loving stories lasts much longer.
Why good readers trip up: confident readers sometimes turn an alien word into a real one they know, reading “starn” as “stars”. If that happens at home, point to the creature and ask them to sound it out exactly as it's written.
For the phonics words schools use, see our phonics at home guide.
Your child's result: what “met” and “not met” mean
“Your child’s teacher will share your child’s score with you in the second half of the summer term.” (STA). The result says whether your child met the expected standard. Nationally, “82% of pupils met the expected standard in the phonics screening check in year 1”, and “89% of pupils met the expected standard by the end of year 2” (DfE statistics, 2026). So a child who hasn't met it yet is in a sizeable group, and most get there by the end of Year 2.
The government wants that number to rise: “We are setting an ambition for 90% of children to meet the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check” by the end of Year 1 (DfE).
If your child didn't meet it: the Year 2 retake and what to ask
“Children who have not met the standard in year 1 will re-take the phonics screening check in year 2.” And: “If your child has found it difficult, the school should tell you what support they have put in place to help your child improve.” (STA). Questions worth asking:
After the phonics check: questions for the teacher
- Which sounds or words did my child find hardest?
- Was it the real words, the alien words, or both?
- What extra help will they get, and how often?
- Which reading book should they be bringing home now?
- What can we practise at home, and for how long?
- When will we talk again about how it's going?
From litsee.com/guides/phonics-screening-check
If blending stays hard for a long time, or reading upsets your child, talk to the teacher and the school's SENCO. Our guide to signs of reading difficulties explains how.
Questions parents ask
What is the phonics screening check pass mark?
It was 32 out of 40 every year from 2012 to 2025, and 31 in 2026, the first change since the check began. The mark is set each year to match how hard that year's words are, and schools aren't told it until after the check.
When is the phonics screening check in 2027?
Schools must give the check in the week beginning Monday 14 June 2027. Children who didn't meet the standard in Year 1 take it again in Year 2. Teachers share results in the second half of the summer term.
What happens if my child fails the phonics screening check?
Officially they haven't met the expected standard yet, rather than failed. The school should tell you what support they're putting in place, and your child will take the check again in Year 2. In 2026, 89% of children had met the standard by the end of Year 2.
What are alien words in the phonics check?
Made-up words, such as 'vap' or 'starn', shown with a picture of an imaginary creature. They check that a child can decode a word from its sounds, rather than recognising a word they already know.
Sources
- Phonics screening check attainment, academic year 2025/26 Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), 8 October 2026, checked 3 November 2026
- Phonics screening check: 2026 materials Standards and Testing Agency, 22 June 2026, checked 3 November 2026
- Phonics screening check: information for parents Standards and Testing Agency, updated 15 September 2025, checked 3 November 2026
- Phonics screening check (overview and administration) Standards and Testing Agency, updated 1 September 2026, checked 3 November 2026
- Primary assessments: future dates Standards and Testing Agency, updated 12 October 2026, checked 3 November 2026
- Curriculum and Assessment Review final report: government response Department for Education, 5 November 2025, checked 3 November 2026
About this guide
Written by the Litsee team and checked line by line against the sources listed on this page.
Facts about the check are quoted from the Standards and Testing Agency and the DfE. The practice words are our own, written for this page; no words from any real check are used, and practising them doesn't predict a result.
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email info@litsee.com and we will fix it. Last reviewed: .
Stories for reading for fun
In Litsee your child picks the hero and decides what happens next, in an illustrated story written for their age and read aloud whenever you want to share it.
Start your free trialA card is needed to start the trial, and nothing is charged if you cancel before it ends. See plans and pricing