We’re delighted to receive a letter (27 October 2015) from Nick Gibb, Minister of State for School Reform (part of the Department for Education), in which he expresses congratulations for the ‘very high standard of achievement in the 2015 phonics screening check‘.
The phonics screening check takes place towards the end of Year 1. The check is a short, ‘light-touch’ assessment to confirm whether individual children have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard. It will identify the children who need extra help so they are given support In Year 2 to improve their reading and writing skills. It consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half non-words, which Year 1 children read to a teacher in school – in our school, this person is Mrs Weekes.
Mr Gibb’s letter says:
We want to ensure that every child develops a firm grasp of phonics which is why I was delighted to see your results. With 100% of pupils at Moortown Primary School reaching or exceeding the pass mark in the check, your school is in the top 2% of all primary schools in the country.
This year’s figures show that 99% of pupils who reach or exceed the pass mark in the phonics check go on to achieve at least the expected standard in Key Stage 1 reading, which underlines the importance of developing the ability to decode words effectively at an early age.
I am pleased to learn that you have ensured that all Year 1 children in your school have a firm foundation in reading, from which they can develop further and become increasingly fluent readers.
Thank you for your work in this vital area of a child’s early education and congratulations again to you and your staff for your hard work and professionalism.
Well done to all the Year 1 (now Year 2) children, and to the staff in our Reception and Year 1 class. Thank you, also, to parents / carers who support their child so well at home, practising spellings and reading regularly.
Incidentally, earlier this year, we received a similar letter from David Laws (26 January 2015), congratulating the school on our Key Stage 2 results for disadvantaged pupils since 2012.