"Failed" isn't a word the school will actually use — but it's often the word running through a parent's head after hearing their child didn't meet the standard. Here's what "working towards the expected standard" really triggers, and what it doesn't.
It's not actually pass/fail
The Phonics Screening Check reports one of two outcomes: "met the expected standard" or "working towards the expected standard." There's no fail grade, no red mark, nothing that resembles a school exam result. It's closer to a checkpoint than a test — a way for the school to confirm which decoding skills are secure and which still need a bit more teaching.
Reframe it as a checkpoint, not a verdict
"Working towards" describes where your child is on a skill that's still actively being taught in Year 1 and Year 2 — not a fixed judgment on their reading ability. Most children who don't meet the standard first time are simply a bit further back on the same normal learning curve everyone else is on.
How common is it, really
A meaningful share of children don't meet the standard on their first attempt in Year 1 — it's treated at school as a routine, expected part of the year, not an unusual outcome that marks a child out. Teachers who administer the check every year see the full range of results and know that a "working towards" score at age five or six often reflects timing (some children's decoding skills simply click a few months later than others) as much as anything else. That context is worth holding onto, because the emotional weight a result carries at home is often much heavier than how routinely the school itself treats it.
What happens at school
- The teacher notes the specific gaps. Usually a handful of sound patterns, not a broad reading problem — see the results letter guide for how this is usually communicated.
- Extra practice is built into normal lessons. There's typically no separate class or formal "intervention" label — just more targeted attention within everyday phonics teaching through Year 2.
- A resit happens the following June. Same format, one-on-one, untimed — see our Year 2 resit guide for exactly what to expect.
What happens at home
- Ask what was actually missed. A specific list of words or patterns is far more useful than the general result — it tells you exactly what to practice.
- Keep sessions short. Five to ten unpressured minutes a day beats a long, anxious catch-up session, especially right after a result that felt disappointing.
- Avoid the word "fail" around your child. Children absorb the emotional tone of a result far more than the actual score — matter-of-fact language keeps it feeling like normal school progress.
- Notice and name the progress that is happening. A child moving from struggling with a pattern to getting it right most of the time deserves to hear that, even if the overall result is still "working towards" — it keeps motivation intact for the months of practice ahead.
When it's worth a closer look
Not meeting the standard once, on its own, isn't a sign of anything beyond "a bit more practice needed on specific patterns." If your child also struggles broadly with reading — not just the check's format — alongside not meeting the standard on the resit as well, it's worth mentioning to the teacher or SENDCo so the right support gets identified early, rather than waiting for a third check that doesn't exist. Our pass mark guide explains what a borderline score specifically indicates.
For the full format and context behind the check, see our Phonics Screening Check parent's guide.
Free printable for this topic
Download the Phonics Screening Check Practice — a free PDF you can print and use today.