What could change about teaching Phonics in primary schools?

Phonics has been a subject often debated in teaching and academic circles since it was made mandatory for primary schools across England and Wales. In this article, we look at the ongoing debates around the teaching of phonics, what could change after the government’s review of the national curriculum, and how teachers can improve educational outcomes with evidence-based interventions.

By ReadingWise team on

Why was Phonics introduced?

The previous Labour government, which came into power in 1997, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair was focused on “Education, Education, Education.”

One of the ways they achieved their education goals was the introduction of Phonics. Blair’s government relied on experts, and one of those people was Sir Jim Rose, who conducted a study into how to improve reading outcomes in early years education.

The result was The Rose Report, recommending a systematic approach that tackled two key areas: “word recognition and decoding.” Since then, children have been taught to read using ‘high-quality, systematic and synthetic’ ’ phonics as the preferred method. It was introduced by Labour in 1998 and then became the mandatory legal method to teach children to read in 2006.

This ‘phonics first’ principle has been embraced by subsequent governments and education secretaries which further strengthened the emphasis on phonics by introducing a phonics test at the end of Year 1 to check children’s reading progress in England.

What are the debates and challenges surrounding phonics?

However, as effective as teaching phonics has been, it’s not always been as successful as the DfE and educational leaders have hoped.

In a 2012 Ofsted report, Moving English Forward, it noted that while attainment in English had risen in secondary schools since 2008, it had stalled in primary schools where far too many children had failed to reach the expected levels in reading and writing. One in five primary pupils failed to achieve the expected level of English in their SATs at the end of key stage 2.

In a 2014 survey ReadingWise conducted, we found that:

  • More literacy teachers stress the importance of reading for pleasure (98%) and giving children the experience of a wide range of texts (92%) than on synthetic phonics (79%)
  • Only one in five teachers (20%) fully supports the phonics test introduced in 2012 to check the reading levels of six-year-olds
  • Less than one in four teachers (21%) fully supports the emphasis on synthetic phonics as the principle strategy for teaching children to read
  • More than half of teachers (52%) think the current emphasis on synthetic phonics is either ineffective or not very effective as a strategy for helping children with dyslexia.
  • Nearly half (45%) also think it is ineffective or not very effective at helping the most able readers while more than a third (37%) question its effectiveness for readers with learning disabilities
  • Despite serious doubts about the policy, however, most teachers (58%) say their schools have increased the emphasis on synthetic phonics as a result of government guidance and many report a measurable improvement in children’s reading ability as a result.

    • We’re also aware that these results are 10 years old. Teachers today might feel differently.

    However, a more recent study conducted by University College London’s (UCLs) IOE, Faculty of Education and Society has found that: “The approach to teaching reading in England means that children in England are unlikely to be learning to read as effectively as they should be. Teachers, children, and their parents need a more balanced approach to the teaching of reading.”

    UCL’s study shows that:

  • Other high-performing English language countries, such as Canada, score better on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. Most have a very different approach to teaching phonics, focusing on “whole texts”, rather than mandating synthetic phonics.
  • Previous research found that “there is no evidence that synthetic phonics teaching is better than other methods of teaching phonics and reading.”
  • “Another systematic review found that integrating phonics teaching with the teaching of comprehension resulted in the best impact on children’s reading.”
  • In total, over 55 other papers were studied on the impact and outcomes of teaching phonics in primary schools and most effective way is to combine “whole texts” with phonics , rather than to exclude them.
  • Emphasis should also be placed on the “whole language” and a “balanced instruction” approach to teaching reading.
  • Under the current system, teachers feel under pressure ⏤ especially when it comes to ensuring children score well on the mmandatory phonics checks⏤ and many feel they “live and breathe phonics”.

    • Could the teaching of phonics change under this new Labour government?

    On the morning of Friday 5th July, the UK awoke to a huge Labour majority in government and Sir Kier Starmer as our new Prime Minister. Labour is promising a purpose-driven government of national service and renewal is in power and they’ve wasted no time getting to work on the details of their ambitious plans.

    All of Labour’s election pledges were officially announced by King Charle’s III at the state opening of Parliament, with many of them being included in a Children’s Wellbeing Bill, such as “free breakfast clubs in every primary school” and pulling multi-academy trusts (MAT) back into the national curriculum.

    But, what do these pledges mean for teaching Phonics in primary schools?

    Over 300,000 pupils in UK schools have completed a ReadingWise programme! We hope to help you and your children, too.

    Although we don’t yet know there are going to be specific changes when it comes to the teaching of Phonics, we do know the government is planning “a curriculum and assessment review is conducted.”

    Once that’s complete by the DfE, we could see some changes across specific subject areas and key stage groups and year groups.

    At present, until any changes are announced (including for education budgets), Ofsted and the DfE are encouraging schools to implement targeted support for children struggling with phonics straight away: “providing targeted help for identified pupils from an extra adult during the phonics lesson.”

    Here is how you can apply for extra funding for targeted interventions at primary school using the Pupil Premium Budget.

    Over 300,000 pupils in UK schools have completed a ReadingWise programme! We hope to help you and your children, too.

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