Phillipson sets new phonics test target for year 1 children

The Education Secretary will set an ambition for 90% of pupils to reach the expected standard in phonics by the end of year 1.

Bridget Phillipson will set out the core tenets of the Government’s forthcoming Schools White Paper in a speech to the Confederation of School Trusts conference on Thursday.

The speech will include the new ambition for 90% of pupils to meet the expected standard in phonics the first time they are tested.

In the latest data, 80% of pupils met the expected standard in year 1, while 89% met that standard by the end of year 2.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the ambition is “all well and good but it needs to be supported with a clear plan of how this will be achieved.”

“Tests and targets are easy to set but what would make the greatest difference in improving literacy is to ensure that schools are sufficiently funded and resourced to provide more intervention and support to children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs,” he added.

“As things currently stand the financial situation is dire and schools are having to cut provision.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said the phonics check does not make a difference in improving literacy and that it has not helped to close attainment gaps.

“Simply announcing a new ambition for attainment in the check won’t make it actually happen without more tangible intervention,” he added.

Ms Phillipson will also confirm the introduction of a new mandatory year 8 reading test, which has already been reported. The test forms a central part of the Schools White Paper.

The test is intended to identify literacy gaps earlier, and data will be made available to both Ofsted and the Government. Schools will make children’s results available to parents but individual schools’ results will not be published.

The Education Secretary will tell the conference a child must be able to read to engage in the rest of school.

“So we will introduce a statutory assessment in year 8 to assess reading fluency and comprehension,” she will say.

“We’ll test progress at this key point when too many children either spin their wheels or fall further behind. Invaluable data for schools to make sure no child’s need for more, for a helping hand, can slip through the cracks.”

When the introduction of the new test was reported in September, teaching unions warned it must not end up becoming another way schools are measured, and that many schools already conduct their own reading tests.

Responding to union concerns at the time, the Labour deputy leadership contender said: “I do believe it is important, particularly for working-class kids, we have a sense not just of where they are but where we need to step in and put more support in place if they’re not getting to where they need to be.

“And the reason I say that is that for many working-class kids, they get one chance at it and if we don’t get it right for them, they often never get a second chance to get to where they need to be.”