If your child didn't meet the expected standard on the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1, they'll retake it in June of Year 2. It's easy to imagine this as a bigger, harder version of the first attempt — it isn't. Here's exactly what's the same, what's different, and how to prepare more effectively the second time.
Who actually takes the resit
Only children who were "working towards the expected standard" in Year 1 — or who missed the check altogether, for example due to illness or joining the school partway through the year. If your child already met the standard, they don't retake it; the check is finished for them. For what that Year 1 result actually said, see our guide to the results letter.
What stays exactly the same
- The format. Still 40 words, still roughly half real words and half pseudo-words, still marked with the same friendly-creature symbol next to invented words.
- The setting. One-on-one with the class teacher, in a quiet part of the classroom, not a hall or exam-style setup.
- No time limit. Just as untimed as the Year 1 attempt — there's no pressure to read faster the second time.
- The pass mark logic. The same scoring approach applies — one point per word, no partial credit. See our pass mark guide for the specific threshold.
What's actually different
| Detail | Year 1 | Year 2 resit |
|---|---|---|
| Words used | First set of 40 words | A different, fresh set of 40 words in the same format |
| Who takes it | Every child in Year 1 | Only children who didn't meet the standard first time |
| Support beforehand | General classroom phonics teaching | Targeted support aimed at the specific gaps identified in Year 1 |
| After the result | Resit the following year if needed | No further statutory resit — reading is monitored as part of normal Year 3 teaching |
Get the specific gap, not a general refresher
The single biggest difference in how to prepare: ask the teacher exactly which words or sound patterns your child missed in Year 1. Re-teaching the whole phonics sequence from the beginning wastes time on skills that are already secure — a focused list is far more effective in the run-up to June.
Why a second attempt usually goes better
A full extra year of reading development sits between the two attempts, which is a lot at this age — a child who was a shaky Year 1 reader in June is often a considerably more confident Year 2 reader by the following June, even before any targeted practice. Combine that natural progress with a full year of school-based support aimed at the exact gaps identified, and it's why most children who resit go on to meet the standard comfortably. It's worth holding onto that when a Year 1 result feels discouraging — it's rarely a preview of how the resit will go.
How to prepare differently the second time
- Start from the missed-word list, not the beginning. If a vowel team or a specific digraph came up in the feedback, drill that pattern in several different words, not just the one that was missed.
- Practise pseudo-words specifically, not just real words. Children often decode real words fine because they half-recognise them, then stumble on invented ones — see our pseudo-words practice guide for a full list sorted by pattern.
- Keep sessions short and confidence-first. A child who didn't meet the standard once may already feel anxious about reading aloud — five focused minutes beats a long, tense session every time.
- Loop back regularly, not just in the final weeks. A little practice spread across the year, revisited every few weeks, tends to stick better than an intense push right before the June check window — that pattern also keeps the resit from feeling like a big, looming event.
For a full week-by-week plan, see how to prepare for the Phonics Screening Check, and for the full context on what the check measures overall, our Phonics Screening Check parent's guide covers the format from the beginning.