Y1 phonics screening

[Itscurtainsforyou]

Just found the results of my 6 year old's phonics screening in his bag.

Looks like he's done ok (37/40 is ok, right?) but I'm not sure what this screening is for. Is it related to sats or to stream them next year, or something else?

I will ask the teacher but unlikely to get hold of her until towards the end of the week.

Not related to sats or streaming. Its a govt led thing that seems to cause more stress than it's worth.

Oh good, another one of those!

The phonics screening was originally designed to identify children at risk of literacy difficulties and to ensure early intervention was put in place.

It's still intended to identify children at risk of literacy difficulties and any stress is teacher induced.
What silly responses you're getting, OP

It's a screening tool that is used with children at the end of Y1 to identify those children who aren't secure in the phonics that they have been taught so that they can receive additional help in Y2.

So, school teaches phonics, spends a couple of minutes with each child carrying out the screening, results are reported to parents and LA.

Absolutely no need for children, parents or teachers to get stressed about it.

Thanks all - so hopefully as he's "passed" it'll just be business as usual in year 2?

any stress is teacher induced.
I witnessed a fair bit of parent induced stress when my children were each in yr 1.

There shouldn't be any stress. The check takes two minutes, one to one with the teacher. It doesn't require any prep or practise so why there should be stress is beyond me an I've administered it since it was introduced.

No stress needed as the government don't use the results in any way to later beat teachers with. How daft of HT and teachers to be anxious of results when they are just used to inform them of something they already know!

Actually they're used by OFSTED to beat schools as is any data in schools 😉

The government don't use the results in any way to later beat teachers with.
Of course they do- these results, just like the EYFS, KS1 & KS2 results are in the School's data set and are used to hold a school to account by local authority and OFSTED- so is it stressful to the children and parent?- hopefully not, it really shouldn't be, but to the school? - yes, yet another measure which schools are under pressure to ensure results are up to standard and that schools worry about.

"so is it stressful to the children and parent" I disagree. There is no reason either should be stressed or even know.

It's a screening that should be 'no surprises' for teachers.

If a score is low, then the pupil should receive additional support until their phonics skills are secure.

The national programme simply formalised what good teachers were doing anyway.

And it really shouldn't cause stress. It's a screening (which should not be specifically prepared for) not an exam.

No stress about it in DS school we were informed what it was about and that it would be happening, informed it was to highlight children that may need a little extra phonic support in yr 2, my DS couldn't even tell me when he had done it.

There is no reason either should be stressed or even know.
And then there's the MSM so of course parents know and for some it becomes a thing. I heard parents talking about "revising" with their 6 yr old for it.

In my school we don't tell parent or child that it is taking place and it is very low key in this regard. However, my Head (who is obsessed with assessment and testing) is now using the phonics screening as a rod to beat us with and at our performance management each year she sets a percentage that have to pass regardless of being told that x, y and z will definitely not pass. Last year the bar was set at 95% pass rate even though we knew that realistically that "only" 80-85% would pass. As with all this forms of assessment, some schools take it too far and don't use it for what it was intended for.

It wasn't what it was intended for, but I'm not sure that using the PSC to hold schools to account is necessarily a bad thing.

Last year the bar was set at 95% pass rate even though we knew that realistically that "only" 80-85% would pass. As with all this forms of assessment, some schools take it too far and don't use it for what it was intended for.

In 2016, 81% of children passed at the end of year 1; 91% by the end of year 2. I am an advocate of the PST if used as it is intended, but in a class of 30, one or two children with SEND and a couple of summer birthdays can make a huge difference and it seems unfair if it is being used to set unrealistic targets for PM that don't take the cohort into account. I assess quite a few children who are said to have passed the PST when standardised tests suggest that this is very unlikely.

The national result is surprisingly low though IMO. I wouldn't take that as being the bar to aim for.

And the test is simple enough that I would expect children with summer birthdays to reach the required level.

It's supposed to be screening for the very small % of children who are likely to have a significant issue.

Just telling the year 1 teachers to expect 95% is not really the way forwards though.

" I heard parents talking about "revising" with their 6 yr old for it." I've only had one parent revise for it, on the advice of her sister, a teacher! As far as I could see it didn't have any positive impact on her child's result.

Yr1 parent here. We were informed about it - there was a workshop to attend and a few bits and pieces sent home.

We practised at home if that counts as "revising" - I downloaded all the previous years screenings for her to have a go at and found a website where you can generate a random screening list.

She got 40/40 but obviously I don't know whether she would have done so without my input, hopefully she would have done anyway. I think the phonics teaching has been pretty solid.

I don't think either of us were stressed by it but I'm not sure I agree that parents don't need to know. I like to know what DD is doing at school so I can support and maximise her learning.

Why the stress?

I teach Y1s and it really does only take 2 minutes. Our children knew about it beforehand and told they were having a quiz.

A teacher should know his/her children. Those who we thought wouldn't pass, didn't and likewise those we had every confidence would pass, did so.

It doesn't tell us anything that as a teacher you should know already.

It's a great diagnostic tool if you look past raw scores

My children's school sends homework home related to the phonics screening. I ignored it all. However, they do it as part of every day phonics work, so weekly homework is part of that and the kids don't even know they are doing the screening. I am not sure how the prep works. If it makes the children more secure in their phonics then clearly it is good. I'd hope that was the outcome!

What a total waste of valuable time