Heads call for ‘useless phonics test’ to be scrapped

A HEAD TEACHERS union has urged the Government to scrap its controversial phonics test after the Department for Education’s own assessment showed the majority of teachers believed it had not provided useful information.

However the department has defended the test, which was sat by six-year-olds for the first time last summer, saying it had helped to identify 235,000 children who were behind on reading.

The test asked children to read out 40 words – both real and made up ones such as ‘zog and ‘vot’ – to check that they can use phonics to identify the sounds of letters.

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An assessment carried out for the DfE shows that the majority of teachers asked about the test did not believe it had any value.

When asked whether it had given useful information for teachers just eight per cent said they agreed, 18 per cent said they agreed somewhat, 21 per cent had mixed views, 20 per cent disagreed somewhat and 32 per cent disagreed.

National Association of Head Teachers’ general secretary Russell Hobby said: “This report clearly confirms that the phonics screening check lacks significant educational value. When the Government’s own experts report that the test won’t raise standards, surely it is time to listen?

“The early and systematic use of phonics is vital and it is pleasing to see so many schools using it as part of a range of strategies. In some ways, the Government can rest content with that.

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“But the screening check is a different matter. Only a quarter of literacy coordinators felt the check provided useful information, and the majority of teachers who have now experienced it did not believe it would raise standards. This is a poorly conceived test which acts to undermine confidence in phonics.

“Not only does it provide less information than a school’s own diagnostics, not only does it penalise the more able readers, it also wastes time. We have seen nonsense words plastered on the walls of good primary schools to get children used to the concept of words that don’t make sense. What on earth are we being forced to teach children?

“We ask the Government to take pride in the role it has played in raising the status of systematic phonics but to think again about the screening check “

A DfE spokeswoman said: “The phonics check ensures children struggling with reading get the help they desperately need. Last year’s check – when teachers identified more than 235,000 six-year-olds behind on reading –demonstrated its value.”

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