Phonics Screening Check Pass Mark: What Score Does My Child Need?

It’s the question every Year 1 parent asks: what’s the pass mark? The short answer is 32 out of 40. But the score matters far less than it sounds, and this guide explains why — along with what schools actually tell you afterwards.

The threshold: 32 out of 40

The “expected standard” in the phonics screening check has been 32 out of 40 in every year the check has run. The Department for Education confirms the threshold nationally each year rather than fixing it in advance, but in practice it has stayed at 32 — so it’s a sensible number to have in mind. A child who reads 32 or more of the 40 words correctly has met the expected standard.

How schools tell you the result

You’ll usually be told your child’s result towards the end of the summer term, often in their end-of-year report. Schools report whether your child met the expected standard, and many will share the actual score out of 40 if you ask. The result isn’t published anywhere public and doesn’t follow your child around — it’s used mainly to help teachers spot who might need a little extra support with reading.

What if the score is below 32?

Children who don’t meet the standard in Year 1 simply take the check again in Year 2, after another year of teaching. This is common and completely routine — not a mark against your child. We’ve written a calm, practical guide to exactly what happens: my child didn’t pass — what now?

Aiming for the standard, calmly

If you’d like to help your child feel confident, the most effective thing is short, regular practice with the real style of words — particularly the made-up alien words, which are the ones children meet least often in everyday reading. Practising a couple of past papers is usually plenty.

Does the pass mark change each year?

In theory it could — the Department for Education reviews and confirms the threshold nationally each year, rather than promising a fixed number in advance. In practice, though, it has been held at 32 out of 40 every single year since the check began, which is why teachers and parents talk about “32” as if it were fixed. Setting the standard afresh each year is simply a safeguard to keep it fair and consistent between different years’ papers. For planning at home, 32 out of 40 is the number to aim towards.

How schools use the result

For your child’s school, the check is mainly a diagnostic tool. It helps teachers see, early and clearly, which children are decoding confidently and which might benefit from a little extra phonics support before reading gets more demanding. Schools also report their overall figures to the local authority, but your individual child’s score isn’t published, ranked, or shared beyond the people teaching them. It doesn’t appear on any permanent record that follows them through school.

Keep the score in perspective

A number out of 40 is a snapshot of decoding on one morning — nothing more. It doesn’t measure how much your child loves stories, how well they understand what they read, or how they’ll do next year. Use it as helpful information, celebrate the effort rather than the score, and keep reading together for the joy of it.