The Phonics Screening Check is designed to be low-pressure for every child, but for a child with SEND, a few adjustments can make it genuinely accessible rather than just technically administered. Here's what's available, and how to ask for it.
What access arrangements can look like
Because the check is already untimed and given one-on-one for every child, the arrangements schools use tend to focus on how the check is delivered rather than adding a time allowance. What's actually available depends on the official guidance issued for that year, so treat the categories below as the general shape rather than an exact checklist, and confirm specifics with your school.
- Modified presentation of the words. Larger print, increased spacing, or a coloured overlay for children who need it for visual comfort.
- Extra breaks or pauses. Splitting the two sets of 20 words across more, shorter sittings rather than one continuous session.
- A familiar adult present. In some cases, a known teaching assistant supporting alongside the class teacher for a child who needs that consistency.
- Alternative communication methods. Adjustments for children who use sign language or another communication approach, arranged in advance with the school.
- A quieter or more familiar space. Moving the session away from the usual classroom corner if background noise or an unfamiliar environment would be a genuine barrier for a specific child.
When a child can be exempted (disapplied) entirely
Headteachers have discretion to disapply a pupil from the check — meaning they don't take it that year at all. This is most often used for children working significantly below the level the check assesses, which can include some children with an EHCP or a substantial SEND support plan. It's a decision made by the school using that year's official guidance, not something a parent can opt into directly, but it's worth raising with the SENDCo if you think it may apply.
Start with the SENDCo, not the class teacher alone
The SENDCo is who tracks current official guidance on access arrangements and disapplication for the check each year. Raise it well before June — arrangements that need planning (like alternative communication support) work far better set up in advance than requested the week of the check.
Why the check still runs one-on-one for most children with SEND
It's worth knowing that the check's default format — one-on-one, untimed, delivered by a familiar teacher in a quiet space — already covers many of the adjustments other tests need to add separately. For a good number of children with SEND, the standard delivery is genuinely appropriate as-is, and the useful conversation with the school isn't "what arrangements does my child need" so much as "does my child need anything beyond the standard format, and if so, what specifically." Going in with that framing tends to produce a more accurate plan than assuming extensive adjustments are automatically required.
How to request arrangements as a parent
- Raise it early in the school year, not close to June. This gives the school time to plan any specific support properly rather than scrambling at the last minute.
- Connect it to your child's existing plan. If your child has an EHCP or a SEND support plan, ask how its existing provisions map onto the check specifically.
- Ask what was actually arranged, afterwards. Knowing exactly what adjustment was used (or whether the check was disapplied) helps you understand the result in context — see our results letter guide for how outcomes are usually reported.
If your child doesn't meet the standard, the process afterwards is the same as for any other child — see what happens if a child doesn't meet the standard, and for the format the check follows overall, our Phonics Screening Check parent's guide.