Phonics is a vital foundation for early reading and writing. It enables children to develop secure decoding skills, build fluency, and gain confidence as readers from the very start of their learning journey.

At The Raleigh School, we use our Trust's carefully designed Phonics Steps programme to teach phonics in a clear, structured, and progressive way. The programme ensures consistency in teaching, regular revisiting of prior learning, and timely support where needed, so that all pupils are supported to develop strong early reading skills and a positive relationship with reading.

All children take the Phonics Screening Check (PSC) at the end of Year 1. Children who did not meet the standard at the end of Year 1 take the check again at the end of Year 2. 

There were no assessments taken in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.