55% Pass rate for phonics test

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I noticed that our school got a 55% pass rate this year as it was published in our school reading letter.
This seems a fair bit lower than the national results.
They also had a 55% working at age related expectations in both reading and writing in KS1 SATS (national 76% and 69% respectively nationally)
There is a line about the tests being particularly tough this year due to changing standards, but surely that would mean the national percentages would be lower also?
Would you be concerned about the above results?

I'd be concerned. Has there been any significant changes of teachers/head etc. Does the 2015 report give any of the SATs or phonics results for that year?

Ouch, that's low, especially concerning after the more commonplace 79 % in the previous year. I'd look at the school leadership ands teaching for the answer rather than the children.

I wonder if that's low enough to trigger an Ofsted inspection?

KS1 SATS 2016 = 68%, 64%, 71% for reading writing and maths with national averages at 74%, 65% and 73%

So last year both the Yr1 Phonic Screen and the Yr2 KS1 SAT results were ok (a bit below national average) but this year both have dropped significantly. Has one teacher got a mixed year group class?

Yes. Last year there was a purely year 2 class, a year 1/2 class and a purely year 1 class.
This year, there's a year 2/3 class, a purely year 3 class, a purely year 2 class, 2 x year 1/reception classes (all in one classroom) and a purely year 1 class.
This years year threes are the first intake of 45 kids. There are 30 kids in years 4, 5 and 6.

Our school got 100% for the yr 1 phonics but only 37% passed RWM for ks1 which I thought was dire. Usual excuses re weak cohort etc..

So 2016/2017 was the first time they had a mixed year 1/2 class and the results dropped. Might be linked (teacher struggled) though might not be.

That seems crazy low!

At my DCs school, they test them at the end of every half term. By our October parents evening when DS was in reception, he already had 100% in the year 1 phonics test.

By the next parents evening 3/4 way through reception, he was where they expect them to be at the end of year 1.

He’s in year 1 now, mixed class (15 yr1 and 15yr2).. we had parents evening just before October half term. DS and one other boy from yr1 have now been moved to the top groups - with JUST the yr2s.

DD started reception this year and on our “meet the teacher” night, the headteacher explained about the phonics test. That they have very high expectations for the children and the reception children (20 in each class), 98% of them passed the phonics test.

But their school does have an outstanding ofsted report..

wow.
we have a higher than average % of FSM kids, and our pass rate is around 90-95%

I would look at last year as well, there could be alot of SEN kids in this cohort, but that is a very low rate.