Statutory guidance

2025 phonics screening check assessment and reporting arrangements

Published 1 October 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements-ara/2025-phonics-screening-check-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements

1. Summary

1.1 About this guidance

This guidance sets out the statutory requirements for national curriculum assessment and reporting during key stage 1 (KS1), for the academic year 2024 to 2025, which comprises the phonics screening check normally conducted in year 1 or, for some pupils, in year 2. It is produced by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE), and is relevant until the end of the academic year 2024 to 2025.

The assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) apply to:

  • maintained schools
  • academies, including free schools
  • special schools, including maintained special schools and special academies
  • alternative provision (AP), including pupil referral units (PRUs), AP academies and AP free schools
  • secure units
  • maintained nursery schools which have registered pupils who will reach the age of 6 before the end of the school year
  • Ministry of Defence (MoD) schools

1.2 Who is this guidance for?

This guidance is for:

  • all staff responsible for the phonics screening check
  • headteachers and senior leadership teams
  • governors and trustees
  • local authority assessment co-ordinators

This document (the ARA) contains provisions made in terms of Article 9 as amended of The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 1 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2004. The 2004 Order is made by the Secretary of State under powers as provided for by section 87 of the Education Act 2002. This ARA document gives full effect to the provisions in the 2004 Order concerning assessment during KS1 and has effect as if made by the 2004 Order. The ARA also contains guidance that does not form part of the law. Section 9 contains further information on legal requirements and responsibilities.

2. Changes for the academic year 2024 to 2025

2.1 Assessments at the end of KS1

Assessments at the end of KS1 became non-statutory from the academic year 2023 to 2024. There is separate guidance on the optional tests and teacher assessment frameworks that schools may wish to utilise to support in the measurement of pupil achievement, to help identify where pupils need additional support or to inform classroom practice.

The government encourages schools to administer the optional tests and teacher assessments, but there is no requirement to use these, or to report the results to parents or local authorities, and they are not used for school accountability purposes. Schools that do not use the optional tests and teacher assessments do not have to report this to STA.

3. Important dates

These dates are subject to change. If any changes are needed due to circumstances beyond STA’s control, schools will be informed at the appropriate time, via the assessment update and on GOV.UK.

3.1 Important dates for 2024

Date Action
Monday 14 October Form available on the Primary Assessment Gateway (PAG) for schools with no pupils working at the standard of the phonics screening check to decline phonics screening check materials
Monday 14 October Form available on the PAG for schools to submit their holiday dates
Monday 14 October Form available on the PAG for academies not using their geographical local authority for monitoring the phonics screening check to notify STA
Monday 14 October Schools can order braille versions of the phonics screening check from the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013
Friday 15 November Deadline for schools with no pupils working at the standard of the phonics screening check to decline phonics screening check materials on the PAG
Friday 15 November Deadline for schools to submit their holiday dates on the PAG

3.2 Important dates for 2025

Date Action
Friday 10 January Deadline for academies to have a written agreement in place with their chosen local authority for monitoring the phonics screening check
Friday 10 January Deadline for academies not using their geographic local authority for monitoring the phonics screening check to have reported this information to STA, on the PAG
March Phonics screening check administration guidance published
Tuesday 22 April Deadline to order braille versions of the phonics screening check from the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013
Monday 19 May to Friday 23 May Schools receive phonics screening check materials
Monday 2 June to Friday 20 June Local authorities carry out monitoring visits to a sample of schools (see section 5.9)
Monday 9 June Phonics screening check materials (excluding braille) and headteacher’s declaration form (HDF) available on the PAG
Monday 9 June to Friday 13 June Schools administer the phonics screening check
Monday 16 June to Friday 20 June Timetable variation week for pupils who were absent for the phonics screening check
Monday 23 June Phonics screening check materials and threshold mark published on GOV.UK
Monday 30 June Deadline for schools to submit phonics screening check HDF on the PAG
Friday 18 July Schools must submit their phonics screening check results to their geographic local authority by the deadline specified by the local authority
Friday 18 July Deadline for local authorities to submit phonics screening check data to DfE using COLLECT

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Headteachers’ responsibilities

All references to headteachers include acting headteachers or anyone with delegated authority in the absence of the headteacher.

Headteachers of participating schools have a duty to ensure that:

  • the requirements in the ARA are implemented in their school
  • teachers and other staff comply with the ARA
  • the deadlines in the ARA are met
  • the needs of all pupils are considered and suitable access arrangements are put in place to enable them to take part in the check, where possible
  • parents are issued with a privacy notice that explains how pupils’ personal data is processed

Headteachers of maintained schools, academies (including free schools) and special schools (including maintained special schools and special academies) must:

  • identify which pupils will reach the age of 6 before the end of the academic year (most pupils will be in year 1) and should take the check in June 2025
  • consider whether any pupils will need braille versions of the check in June 2025 and order them from the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 by Tuesday 22 April
  • consider whether any pupils will need modified versions and download them from the PAG (excluding braille) during the check period in June 2025
  • keep all check materials secure and treat them as confidential from the point they arrive in school or are downloaded from the PAG, until Monday 23 June
  • be able to give an accurate account of everyone with access to check materials from the point they arrive in school or are downloaded from the PAG, until Monday 23 June – this includes unused check materials and electronic versions downloaded from the PAG
  • ensure all check administrators are appropriately trained to administer and score the check according to this guidance and have read the information about preparing to administer the phonics screening check
  • make a judgement on whether pupils are in a fit physical and mental state to take the check
  • ensure the check is administered once to each pupil within the check window starting on Monday 9 June
  • ensure the check is administered by a check administrator known to the pupils
  • know what to expect if they receive a monitoring visit
  • co-operate with any monitoring visit requests, including visits by STA or local authority representatives
  • ensure pupils’ responses are scored accurately and consistently
  • report any incident that affects the integrity, security or confidentiality of the check to STA
  • comply with the national data submission requirement by submitting check results to the local authority for all eligible pupils, by the deadline communicated to them by the local authority
  • complete and submit the phonics screening check HDF on the PAG by Monday 30 June
  • ensure any pupils in years 1 or 2 who do not meet the expected standard continue to receive support in phonics

Headteachers of academies must also have a written agreement in place with their chosen local authority for monitoring the phonics screening check. If you have selected a non-geographic local authority, you must report this information to STA on the PAG by Friday 10 January.

Phonics screening check headteacher’s declaration form

Headteachers must submit the phonics screening check HDF on the PAG, as detailed in article 5A(1)(c) of The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 1 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2004.

The HDF confirms that the June 2025 check was administered and scored according to the published guidance or that any issues were reported to STA. It may also confirm that the check was not administered because all pupils are working below the standard or are unable to access it. The form will be available from Monday 9 June and must be completed by Monday 30 June.

If you cannot complete the HDF, or make any errors in your submission, you should notify the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.

4.2 Local authorities’ responsibilities

Local authorities must take reasonable steps to ensure that participating schools follow the guidance in this ARA. This also applies to academies that have an agreement in place with the local authority.

Local authorities should ensure that participating schools:

Responsibilities include:

  • ensuring training and advice is available to schools on all aspects of the check
  • carrying out monitoring visits to a sample of schools participating in the June 2025 check (see section 5.9)
  • informing STA of any irregularities which could affect the integrity, security or confidentiality of the national curriculum assessments, or could lead to judgements that do not reflect pupils’ independent work
  • following the phonics data collection and submission guidance to collect results, quality assure and submit data to DfE for checks administered in June 2025

4.3 School responsibilities

Teachers must comply with the provisions of this ARA when carrying out assessment and reporting functions.

4.4 Governing bodies’ responsibilities

Governing bodies of maintained schools must carry out their functions to ensure that the phonics screening check is administered in their school according to this ARA.

4.5 Academy trusts’ responsibilities

An academy’s funding agreement will usually require the academy trust to ensure that the phonics screening check is administered in the school according to this ARA.

5. Phonics screening check

5.1 Overview of the check

The phonics screening check is designed to confirm whether pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard. It will identify pupils who need extra help to improve their decoding skills. The check consists of 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words that pupils read aloud to the check administrator.

5.2 Check participation

Participation in the check depends on the type of school (see section 9.1). Schools do not need to register pupils for the check.

Pupils who should take the check

Pupils who have reached the age of 6 by the end of the academic year and who have completed the first year of the KS1 English programme of study (most pupils will be in year 1) must take the check in June 2025.

Pupils who have reached the age of 7 by the end of the academic year (most pupils will be in year 2) must also take the check in June 2025, if they have not taken the check before or if they did not meet the expected standard in the June 2024 check.

Pupils who should not take the check

Pupils should not take the check if they:

  • have shown no understanding of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
  • have not completed the first year of the KS1 English programme of study
  • have recently moved to the country and are unable to understand letters and sounds in English
  • use British Sign Language or other sign-supported communication, such as communication boards, to spell out individual letters
  • are non-verbal, or selectively mute
  • have been absent during the check window – if a pupil does not take the check during this period and returns to school after Friday 20 June, they must be recorded as absent

Decisions on participation in the check

Headteachers make the final decision about whether it is appropriate for a pupil to take the check. In any instances when pupils are not entered for the check, schools must contact the pupil’s parents to inform them and explain their decision. If appropriate, they should provide the parents with documentary evidence to support their decision. Where the decision has been made not to administer the check to a pupil, schools should also explain how they are helping the pupil to learn to decode using phonics.

5.3 Access arrangements

You may need to adapt the phonics screening check for some pupils. You must base adjustments on normal classroom practice for pupils with specific needs. You do not need to request permission to make adaptations, but you must ensure any modifications are necessary, do not advantage pupils (see section 5.6) and do not amount to maladministration (see section 6).

5.4 Past papers

Past papers are available to help teachers prepare for the phonics screening check. These include past versions of the phonics screening check, modified versions (excluding braille), scoring guidance and administration instructions.

Schools can request copies of past braille check materials by contacting the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.

5.5 Ordering or declining phonics screening check materials

Schools do not need to order standard check materials for the check in June 2025. Materials are sent to schools (including special schools, PRUs and secure units) based on data from the January school census.

Schools that do not have any pupils working at the standard of the check must notify STA that they do not need check materials, using the ‘Decline phonics screening check materials’ form on the PAG, by Friday 15 November.

Schools can order uncontracted (Grade 1) Unified English Braille versions of the phonics screening check. Braille materials should be ordered from the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 by Tuesday 22 April.

5.6 Delivery of phonics screening check materials

Schools will receive check materials, including any braille orders, in the week beginning Monday 19 May. To ensure schools receive their check materials on time, they must provide their holiday dates on the PAG by Friday 15 November. If schools have not received their check materials by Friday 23 May, they should contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.

Delivery locations

In the first instance, materials are delivered to school addresses taken from Get Information about Schools (GIAS). Schools must ensure their details are up to date and sign into GIAS via DfE Sign-in to make changes.

Where schools operate across multiple sites, the headteacher should transport check materials between them if this is practical. However, some schools may have very dispersed sites and others may move to a temporary site part way through the academic year. If you would like to discuss alternative delivery arrangements, you should contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.

Additional materials and modified formats

Schools can download check materials from the PAG from Monday 9 June. This includes the answer sheet and modified versions (excluding braille), including Word versions with colour images, Word versions with black and white images, and Word versions without images.

Schools that need to order braille check materials after Tuesday 22 April should contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.

5.7 Security of phonics screening check materials

Headteachers must ensure the integrity of the check is maintained so that no pupil has an advantage. Schools must follow the guidance on keeping materials secure in the phonics screening check administration guidance and treat all check materials as confidential from when they are received or are downloaded from the PAG, until Monday 23 June.

5.8 Administering the phonics screening check

Schools should administer the check during the week beginning Monday 9 June. If a pupil is absent during the check week, you can administer the check to them until Friday 20 June. Schools must follow the phonics screening check administration guidance, which will be published in March. Pupils must only attempt the check once during the check window.

5.9 Monitoring the phonics screening check

Local authorities have a statutory duty to make monitoring visits to at least 10% of maintained schools that are administering the check. Local authorities are also expected to monitor at least 10% of academies that have selected the local authority for monitoring.

Local authorities will carry out monitoring visits to a sample of schools between Monday 2 June and Friday 20 June.

In some circumstances, a local authority may be able to conduct a monitoring visit after 20 June, namely where a phonics screening check is administered outside of the usual check window due to the pupil’s absence or a timetable variation. Local authorities are able to conduct a monitoring visit up to five school days following the last day on which a phonics screening check is administered (as per Article 6A of The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 1 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2004). Therefore, if a school administers its last phonics screening check on Friday 20 June (within the timetable variation window), the local authority can conduct a monitoring visit up until Friday 27 June.

Schools and local authorities should refer to the guidance on monitoring visits, which will be updated in March, for further information.

Academies

Academies must choose which local authority is responsible for monitoring their phonics screening check and must have a written agreement in place with their chosen local authority. Academies will be presumed to be working with their geographic local authority. If they choose an alternative local authority, they should inform STA on the PAG by Friday 10 January.

If a school becomes an academy on or after Monday 2 September 2024, they will be part of their geographic local authority’s arrangements for monitoring the check and will be unable to select an alternate local authority until the academic year 2025 to 2026.

5.10 Reporting phonics screening check results

STA will publish the threshold mark on Monday 23 June on GOV.UK. Schools do not need to wait until the threshold mark is published before submitting their data to the local authority.

Reporting to local authorities

Maintained schools and special schools (including maintained special schools) must report their pupils’ check scores to their geographic local authority by the deadline they specify.

Academies (including special academies) must report their pupils’ check scores to their geographic local authority by the deadline they specify, even if they have used a different local authority for monitoring.

Local authorities must submit check data to DfE by Friday 18 July. There is no facility to amend data once the collection has closed.

Further support for schools and local authorities is available in:

5.11 How results will be used

DfE does not publish school-level results for the phonics screening check. However, national, regional and local authority data will be published in 2025, including by pupil and school characteristics.

Results will be available in Analyse School Performance and schools will also have access to national and local authority results to allow them to benchmark their pupils’ performance.

Aggregated data may be used by DfE to inform future policy and direct support and resource where it is needed. This may include setting criteria to allocate additional funding – for example, for teaching schools, English and maths hubs, and free school applications.

Pupils who have not met the expected standard at the end of year 1 must be considered for a retake in June 2026. Schools are expected to maintain a programme of support for these pupils.

6. Maladministration

The term ‘maladministration’ refers to any act that:

  • affects the integrity, security or confidentiality of national curriculum assessments
  • could lead to results that do not reflect pupils’ unaided work

For example:

  • schools reporting pupils’ phonics screening check scores incorrectly
  • allowing pupils to have more than one attempt at the phonics screening check
  • schools adapting the phonics screening check in a way which results in an advantage to pupils (see section 5.3)

STA has a statutory duty to investigate any matter brought to its attention relating to the accuracy or correctness of any pupil’s phonics screening check results. The maladministration investigation procedures explain how STA processes allegations, as well as roles and responsibilities relating to school visits. This is supported by guidance for local authorities carrying out visits on STA’s behalf.

If headteachers, teachers, check administrators and other staff do not comply with the provisions of this ARA and other published guidance, this could result in the school being investigated for maladministration. In cases where the accuracy or correctness of a pupil’s results may be affected, the Secretary of State has power to determine the pupil’s result and notify this to the headteacher.

Anybody with concerns about the administration of the phonics screening check, or any allegations of maladministration, should report them by contacting the maladministration team at [email protected] or by contacting the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013.

7. Reporting to parents

7.1 Annual reports

Headteachers of maintained schools, including maintained special schools, must prepare annual reports for every pupil’s parents. Headteachers must arrange for parents to discuss the report with their child’s teacher.

The term ‘parent’ is defined in section 576 of the Education Act 1996 as:

  • a parent of a pupil
  • any person who is not a parent of a pupil, but who has parental responsibility for the pupil
  • any person who has care of a pupil

Academies’ requirements are set out in their funding agreements.

7.2 What reports cover

The report must start from the day after the last report was given, or the date of the pupil’s admission to the school, if later. It must be made available to parents before the end of the summer term.

The report must cover the pupil’s:

  • achievements
  • general progress
  • attendance record

Headteachers must report to parents their child’s phonics screening check score (including pupils who have since left the school) by the end of the summer term in year 1. Headteachers should also report to parents if their child was absent, did not participate in the check, or the reason why they have not received a result (for example, results are affected by maladministration).

For year 2 pupils who take the check in June 2025, schools must report results to parents.

For maintained schools, it is a requirement that reports cover pupils’ general progress in statutory subjects. This includes subjects within the KS1 national curriculum as well as religious education unless a child has been withdrawn from this subject by their parents (under section 71 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998). These content requirements are based on Schedule 1 of the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005.

7.3 Pupils who change schools

If a pupil changes schools before the end of the academic year, the headteacher of the receiving school should ensure an annual report is written for the pupil. The report should draw upon information transferred from the pupil’s previous school (see section 8.3). This should be issued to the pupil’s parents. The parents should have the opportunity to discuss the report with their child’s teacher.

7.4 Pupils registered at more than one school

Regulation 9 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 allows the dual registration of families that travel for occupational purposes. Regulations 9(3) and 9(4) define which school would be the base school (school of ordinary attendance). Regulation 9(1) applies to a pupil who:

  • has no fixed abode because their parent is engaged in a trade or business that requires them to travel from place to place
  • is at the time registered as a pupil at 2 or more schools

If a pupil is registered at more than one school, each headteacher should write an annual report for parents. Each headteacher should also arrange for parents to discuss the report with their child’s teacher (if the parent wishes).

8. Keeping and maintaining records

8.1 Pupils’ educational records

Maintained schools and non-maintained special schools must ensure that educational records are maintained and disclosed to parents on request, as prescribed in the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005. Educational records include information about pupils (and former pupils):

  • processed by, or on behalf of, the governing body or a teacher
  • originating from, or supplied by, local authority employees
  • originating from, or supplied by, teachers or other employees of the school

Information processed by a teacher solely for the teacher’s own use is excluded from the definition of educational records.

Maintained schools and non-maintained special schools must also keep curricular records on every pupil. Curricular records form a ‘subset’ of a pupil’s educational record. They are a formal record of a pupil’s academic achievements, skills, abilities and the progress they make at a school. These records must be updated at least once every academic year.

Schools are data controllers and are therefore required to comply with data protection legislation including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). This means schools are responsible for ensuring that any processing of personal data (the collection, retention, storage and security of all personal information they hold) meets the provisions of the Act and complies with data protection legislation. This includes:

  • personal information appearing in a pupil’s educational record
  • any other information they hold which identifies individuals, including pupils, staff and parents

8.2 Disclosure of educational records

There are several pieces of legislation under which information may be accessed from public organisations, including schools. These include the UK GDPR, the DPA 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Access to a pupil’s educational record held by a maintained school or non-maintained special school is covered by a parent’s right of access under the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005.

Under the 2005 Regulations, a maintained school’s governing body must ensure that a pupil’s educational record is made available for parents to see, free of charge, within 15 school days of receipt of the parent’s written request. If a parent makes a written request for a copy of the record, this must also be provided within 15 school days of receipt of the request. Governing bodies can charge a fee for these copies, but this must not be more than the cost of supply. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provides further information on charges.

The 2005 Regulations describe the material that is exempt from disclosure to parents. This relates to information that the pupil could not lawfully be given under data protection legislation. It also relates to information that they would not have a right of access to. This includes material that may cause serious harm to the physical or mental health or condition of the pupil or someone else. A school may not fulfil a parent’s request for these records if there is a court order in place which limits a parent’s exercise of parental responsibility. This affects the parent’s entitlement to receive such information.

The ICO can provide further advice.

8.3 Transferring records to a pupil’s new school

Headteachers of maintained schools, including maintained special schools, must ensure the statutory requirements for the transfer of records between schools are fulfilled, including the completion of the CTF. This requirement is set out in the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, as amended.

If a pupil moves to another school in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the pupil’s CTF and educational records must be passed to the new school. Academies are not subject to this requirement but are expected to adhere to the following protocols as a matter of good practice.

Schools should arrange to exchange data by another secure method if transferring information to a school outside England, where school to school (S2S) is not available. Information must be transferred within 15 school days of the pupil ceasing to be registered at their previous school.

The pupil’s CTF should be sent to the new school either:

  • through the S2S secure file transfer system
  • over a secure network that can only be accessed by the local authority, the governing body or a teacher at any school within that local authority

If either school is unable to send or receive information in this way, local authorities may provide the file. However, there must be agreed and secure local arrangements in place.

If the new school is unknown, DfE recommends that the school should still complete the CTF and load it onto S2S. If a school does not receive CTFs for a new pupil, they can ask their local authority to search for the files on S2S.

Schools can refer to the S2S guides for details on:

  • what information CTFs should contain
  • handling records for pupils where their destination is not known
  • sending CTFs between schools

Schedule 2 to the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, as amended, explains more about the content of CTFs.

9.1 How the arrangements apply to different types of school

Maintained schools (including maintained special schools)

Maintained schools, including maintained special schools, with pupils in KS1 must administer the phonics screening check.

Maintained nursery schools

Maintained nursery schools, with pupils who will reach the age of 6 before the end of the academic year, must administer the phonics screening check.

Academies (including free schools, special academies and AP academies)

All references to academies include free schools as, in law, they are academies. The following information also applies to AP academies.

An academy’s funding agreement may say that they will follow guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education in relation to assessments of pupils’ performance. If so, they must comply with the ARA and take part in statutory assessments on the same basis as maintained schools. The phonics screening check ARA is only applicable if the academy provides education to pupils at this stage.

Academies are not required to follow the national curriculum. They need to teach a broad and balanced curriculum which, as a term of their funding agreement, includes English, mathematics and science. For AP academies, this only includes English and mathematics.

Academies must choose which local authority is responsible for monitoring their phonics screening check. They must have a written agreement in place with their chosen local authority, and if this is not their geographic local authority, they should inform STA of their choice by Friday 10 January. Academy trusts must make sure their academies have complied with monitoring and data submission requirements in this publication.

Independent schools

Independent schools cannot formally administer the phonics screening check. They will be able to download the 2025 phonics screening check materials from GOV.UK from Monday 23 June, after the check administration window.

Pupil referral units

Pupils studying at a PRU, but who are on the register of a maintained school or academy, are expected to take the phonics screening check. Their results should be reported by the school where the pupil is registered.

Pupils not on the register of a maintained school or academy, but who attend a PRU, are expected to receive a comparable education to a pupil in a mainstream school. Therefore, it is recommended that the phonics screening check forms part of their educational provision, where appropriate.

Ministry of Defence schools

MoD schools take part in the national curriculum assessments in line with the administration in England. This includes administering the phonics screening check.

Overseas schools

Overseas schools that are not MoD schools cannot formally participate in the phonics screening check. They will be able to download the 2025 phonics screening check materials from GOV.UK from Monday 23 June, after the administration window.

Non-maintained special schools

Non-maintained special schools cannot formally administer the phonics screening check. They will be able to download the 2025 phonics screening check materials from GOV.UK from Monday 23 June, after the check administration window.

Home-educated pupils

Pupils who are electively home educated cannot formally participate in the phonics screening check unless they are on the register of a maintained school or academy.

Home educators will be able to download the 2025 phonics screening check materials from GOV.UK from Monday 23 June, after the check administration window.

9.2 Special educational provision and reasonable adjustments

Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to ensure that special educational provision is made for those pupils who need it.

All schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage compared to their peers.

9.3 Regulatory concerns

If you have any regulatory concerns that have not been fully addressed by STA in line with the published procedures, you can raise them with the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.

10. Further information

  • Primary Assessment Gateway

www.primaryassessmentgateway.education.gov.uk

  • Using the Primary Assessment Gateway

www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-primary-assessment-gateway

  • Get Information about Schools

www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk

Phonics screening check

Collection available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/phonics-screening-check-administration, including:

  • Check administration guidance
  • Past check materials and training video

National curriculum tests: past papers

Collection available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-practice-materials, including:

  • Past papers and mark schemes
  • Scaled score conversion tables

Guidance for local authorities

Collection available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-guidance-for-local-authorities, including:

  • Data collection
  • Monitoring visits and maladministration

10.2 Additional resources

  • Information for parents

www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-information-for-parents

10.3 General enquiries

For general enquiries about the assessment and reporting arrangements for the phonics screening check, contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 or email [email protected].

For general enquiries about submitting data to DfE, local authorities can use the data collections service request form.

10.4 Message us

For enquiries relating to the phonics screening check to meet a pupil’s specific needs, schools can use the ‘Message us – access arrangements’ form on the PAG.

10.5 Modified versions

Schools can discuss the suitability of, and order, braille versions of the phonics screening check by contacting the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 or emailing [email protected].

Back to top