Plymouth six-year-olds above national average in phonics results
National, regional and local authority results for the phonics reading check and key stage 1 assessments have been published by the Department of Education.
The results for Plymouth show that 70% of six-year-olds in state funded schools (including academies) reached the expected level, one percentage point higher than the overall figure for schools in England. Those who did not achieve the expected level will be offered additional help from teachers to enable them to "catch up".
By year 2 the number of children who reached the expected level in Plymouth rose to 84%.
The year 1 figure for the Devon local authority area was 73%. The national picture seen a dramatic rise of 11% on the figure of 58% for 2012, with 73% of girls and 65% of boys across England reaching the expected level by year 1 in 2013.
The statistics for England show that in this year’s phonics check:
- almost 177,000 six-year-olds were identified as being below the expected level - they will now receive extra help from their teachers so that they catch up with their peers and become strong readers
- 69% of six-year-olds (almost 423,000 pupils) reached the expected level (32 out of 40) - last year (2012) 58% of children achieved the expected level
The government introduced the phonics check for six-year-olds after figures showed one in 11 children left primary school in 2010 with a reading age no better than that of a seven-year-old.
According to the Department of Education, phonics is internationally proven as the most effective method to teach children how to read, with a range of studies, including from the USA and Australia, supporting its use.
The check has increased schools’ focus on phonics. Over the last two years 13,400 schools have taken advantage of government funding to buy high-quality synthetic phonics products or training so they can improve their teaching.
Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said:
"We are committed to improving children’s reading.
"The phonics check helps teachers identify those pupils who need extra help in learning to read.
"Many thousands of children will now receive the extra support they need to catch up with their peers and develop a love of reading."
Teacher assessment figures for reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, and science at the end of key stage 1 have also been published.
They show that from last year the proportion of seven-year-olds reaching the expected level (level 2) rose one percentage point in reading to 89%, two points in writing to 85%, one point in speaking and listening to 89%, and one point in science to 90%. The result for maths was the same as last year, 91%.
In Plymouth, 87% of children assessed at key stage 1 reached the expected level in reading, 81% in writing, 91% in maths and 89% in science.
The phonics check is a short, light-touch assessment of the phonic skills of pupils at the end of year 1. It assesses their ability to break down and blend words using systematic synthetic phonics, the internationally proven method of driving up reading standards, especially in children aged five to seven.
