---
title: "More six-year-olds in England pass the phonics check"
canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/stories/england-phonics-check-pre-pandemic-level-2026/
sourceName: "Department for Education"
sourceUrl: "https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/phonics-screening-check-attainment/2025-26"
datePublished: 2026-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
dateModified: 2026-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
---

# More six-year-olds in England pass the phonics check

Provisional Department for Education figures show that 82% of year 1 pupils in England met the expected standard in the 2026 phonics screening check, up from 80% in 2025 and back to the 2019 level. Pupils with special educational needs reached 46%, their highest result since the check began in 2012.

## What do the figures show?

In 2026, 82% of year 1 pupils in England met the expected standard in the phonics screening check. That is up from 80% in 2025. It is the first time results have returned to the pre-pandemic level of 82%, recorded in 2019.

Results fell to 75% in 2022. They then rose each year to 80% in 2024 and stayed there in 2025.

By the end of year 2, 89% of pupils had met the standard. That figure is unchanged from 2025.

## Which groups improved?

- **Pupils with special educational needs:** 46% met the standard in year 1, up from 43%. This is their highest result since the check began.
- **Boys:** 78% met the standard, up from 76%.
- **Disadvantaged pupils:** 68% met the standard, up from 67%.
- **London:** the highest-performing region, at 84%.

The gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils stayed at about 17 percentage points.

## What is the phonics check?

The check is a statutory assessment for year 1 pupils, who are typically aged 6. It confirms whether a child can decode words using phonics. A teacher sits with each pupil and records whether their answer to each of 40 words is correct.

## A change to the pass mark

In 2026, the pass mark was 31 out of 40. This is the first change since the check began in 2012, when it was 32. The Department for Education says the mark can vary because each year's words must be different, so their difficulty can vary slightly.

The release does not say how much of the 2-point rise, if any, relates to this change.

## What the figures do not show

The figures are provisional. The check measures phonic decoding, not reading comprehension. The gap for disadvantaged pupils has not narrowed, and the end-of-year-2 result has not changed. The release does not credit the rise to any particular policy.

## Reporting notes

We checked the Department for Education's provisional statistics, published on 8 October 2026. The pass mark in 2026 was 31 out of 40, the first change from 32 since 2012. The release does not show how much of the rise relates to that change, and it does not link the rise to any policy.

## Sources

- [Department for Education · Phonics screening check attainment 2025/26](https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/phonics-screening-check-attainment/2025-26): Provisional official statistics, including results by pupil group and region and the 2026 pass mark.
- [GOV.UK · Phonics screening check attainment, England 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-attainment-england-2026): Official statistics page for the same release.

## Common questions

### What is the phonics screening check?

It is a statutory assessment for year 1 pupils in England, who are typically aged 6. A teacher listens to each child read 40 words and records whether each answer is correct, to confirm whether the child has met the expected standard in phonic decoding.

### Did the pass mark change in 2026?

Yes. The threshold was 31 out of 40, the first change since the check began in 2012, when it was 32. The Department for Education says the mark can vary because each year's words differ slightly in difficulty.

Primary source: [Department for Education](https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/phonics-screening-check-attainment/2025-26)