Parents and carers of Year 1 children
Phonics Screening Check 2027: Dates, Format and Pass Mark
The Year 1 phonics screening check 2027 takes place in the week beginning Monday 14 June 2027. Schools in England must administer it within that week, one child at a time, with the class teacher. It is short, spoken and, for most children, unremarkable: many do not realise it was a test at all.
The week comes from the Department for Education's published timetable of future assessment dates, which also already lists the 2028 week.
What the check involves
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Words | 40 in total: 20 real words and 20 made-up words |
| Made-up words | Shown with an alien picture so children know they are not real words |
| How it is taken | One to one with the teacher, reading aloud; usually 5 to 10 minutes |
| Threshold | Published each year with the assessment materials; it has been 32 out of 40 every year since the check began in 2012 |
| Below the threshold | The child gets extra phonics support and takes the check again in Year 2 |
The made-up words, often called alien words or pseudo-words, are the part parents ask about most. They are there so a child cannot pass on memory alone; sounding out a word they have never seen shows the phonics itself has stuck. Our free phonics screening practice page uses the same real-plus-alien-word format, with no account needed.
If your child does not reach the threshold
Roughly one child in five does not reach the threshold in Year 1, so the retake route is a normal, well-trodden one rather than a red flag. The school will tell you the outcome by the end of the summer term, put support in place, and run the check again in Year 2. If reading feels stuck more generally, the guide for a child struggling with reading in Year 2 has a practical plan for home.
Phonics screening check 2028
The 2028 check week is already published: the week beginning Monday 12 June 2028. The format is unchanged.
Sources, verification and updates
Primary source: the Department for Education's primary assessments future dates page for the check weeks; the threshold mark is published each year in the assessment and reporting arrangements.
- Last verified: 28 August 2026, against the gov.uk future dates page.
- Next review: June 2027, when the 2027 threshold is formally published with that year's materials.
- Change log: 28 August 2026, page first published; 2027 and 2028 weeks checked against gov.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the phonics screening check pass mark for 2027?
Each year's threshold is published with that year's materials, after the check. It has been 32 out of 40 every year since 2012, so 32 is the sensible planning assumption, but treat the 2027 figure as confirmed only when the Department for Education publishes it.
Do home-educated children take the phonics check?
No. It is administered by schools, and families educating at home are not required to arrange it. If you would like a picture of how phonics is going, the same style of check is easy to do informally at home.
Can my child fail the phonics screening check?
It is not a pass-or-fail exam in any meaningful sense. A child below the threshold gets more phonics teaching and another go in Year 2, and nothing goes on any permanent record that follows them through school.
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