"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 judgement 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 practise.
- 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.