Y1 Phonics Screening Check

1. Lisa Zychowicz and Nina Birch Y1 Phonics Screening Check

3. The White Paper – 2010 Key messages • support available to every school • a simple reading check at age six • As this is an area of such fundamental importance, we will go further than in any other area in actively supporting best practice. We will provide the resources to support the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics in primary schools • funding for high-quality training and classroom teaching resources will be made available

4. The White Paper – 2010 Key messages • Ofsted inspectors’ expertise in assessing the teaching of reading will be increased • Teacher Training • Pupils who are struggling to learn to read must be identified as early as possible so that they can be given extra help. • Schools’ results will be reported through the RAISE Online database

5. Reading by six – How the best schools do it Ofsted 2010

6. Reading by six – How the best schools do it • Summary of findings and recommendations continued • All children should be reading at standards appropriate to Level 1A/2C when they are six, that is, by the end of Year 1. • In any school where the teaching of reading and writing falls below the ‘outstanding’ benchmark and pupils’ achievement lags behind that in the most effective schools, there should be a critical focus on the teaching of phonic knowledge and skills. • Shortcomings in the rigour and fitness for purpose of schools’ programmes for phonics teaching should be redressed urgently, for example through using a high-quality synthetic phonics scheme.

7. Reading by six – How the best schools do it • Summary of findings and recommendations continued • The diligent, concentrated and systematic teaching of phonics is central to the success of all the schools that achieve high reading standards in Key Stage 1. This requires high-quality and expert teaching that follows a carefully planned and tightly structured approach to teaching phonic knowledge and skills. • Pupils are given opportunities to apply what they have learnt through reading – including time to read aloud to adults to practise their decoding skills – writing and comprehension of what they are reading. • In schools with Nursery classes, the provision gives children rich opportunities to talk and listen in a wide range of contexts. This contributes to developing their familiarity with books and stories and their knowledge of the meanings of words. There is a strong focus on developing the children’s capacity to listen, concentrate and discriminate between sounds.

8. Reading by six – How the best schools do it • Summary of findings and recommendations continued • The best phonics teaching is characterised by planned structure, fast pace, praise and reinforcement, perceptive responses, active participation by all children and evidence of progress. • Effective teachers are highly trained to instil the principles of phonics, can identify the learning needs of young children, and recognise and overcome the barriers that impede learning. • Well-structured resources are used appropriately, either individually or in combination, to support the teaching programme. • Phonics teaching is monitored to ensure consistency and steps are taken if improvement is called for. • The assessment of individual pupils’ progress, phonic knowledge and skills is sufficiently frequent and detailed to identify quickly the pupils who are failing, or in danger of failing, to keep up with their peers. • Effective provision for them to catch up is put in place early and there are • high expectations of what all pupils should achieve. • The quality of formative assessment and the interaction that stems • from it make an important contribution to learning.

9. The Proposed Phonics Screening Check

10. Phonics Screening Check Proposals The screening check will be statutory The screening check will focus solely on phonic decoding It will comprise words and non-words No more than 40 items (individual words to be read) It will take place mid-June One to one with child reading to adult; recommendation it is a teacher Time will be five to ten minutes approximately to administer Ongoing assessment of the whole range of reading skills covered in Year 1 will continue

11. Latest news! • Matched funding of up to £3000 (announced April 2011) for materials • Approved resources and training– will be published by September • The screening check will be piloted this June in approximately 300 schools.

12. Implications for schools and teachers • Requirement to report to parents • Information will be included on Raiseonline • Training implications for teachers including subject knowledge • Implications for tracking children’s development in phonics throughout YR and Year 1

13. If you would like a copy of this presentation please email: • Lisa.Zychowicz@southwark.gov.uk