In a survey of 1,200 teachers and headteachers, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) said that they did not think Year 2 children should be doing the phonics screening check this term. The main reasons cited were ‘added pressure at an already difficult time’ and that it is ‘not necessary to use a statutory assessment to understand children’s level in phonics because teachers already access it’.
Just one in four teachers (25 per cent) believed it provided any useful information on how well children could read, and only 13 per cent thought it had a positive impact on their teaching.
Almost half (43 per cent) of teachers said the tests caused additional stress for pupils, particularly at a time when they were settling back in after lockdown.
One teacher described the process as, ‘Depressing that I’ve been forced to put year 2 through the wringer, when they’ve had such a terrible year and were so pleased to be back.’
A high proportion of teachers, 82 per cent, also said that the test has caused additional stress for them.
One teacher commented, ‘We have SATs stress and phonics stress and six months of catching up stress.’
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON LITERACY ACTIVITIES
The controversial test consists of 20 words and 20 pseudo-words (phonetically plausible words with no meaning) which children have to read aloud.
More than a third (37 per cent) of teachers surveyed said that it had helped children to catch up with their phonics. Positive comments in the report suggest that it has helped to identify gaps in learning and to highlight children who need additional support.
But the research, undertaken by Dr Alice Bradbury, from the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0-11 Years), based at the UCL Institute of Education, also highlights concerns about the potentially negative impact of the screening on children’s progress in reading.
More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of teachers said that time spent on other literacy activities had been ‘reduced’. And some said that a particularly worrying development has been that fluent readers are taking ‘a step backwards’ in order to prepare for the test.
CALL FOR TESTING TO BE CANCELLED
Dr Bradbury concluded in her report that phonics screening checks in autumn 2020 may have been ‘detrimental to some children’s reading development’. However, she said that this issue requires further investigation.
She also said that policy-makers should draw ‘important lessons’ from the findings, particularly as the government is insisting that all formal tests, including SATs, proceed as normal in this school year.
She commented, ‘These are the first to be conducted since the pandemic began and the government should now take into account the experiences of schools and pupils. Teachers are clear that they do not need the tests to establish who is struggling and any tests add extra pressure at a difficult time. What’s more, comparisons between schools will be unfair given the different experiences of schools.’
A spokesperson for the More Than A Score campaign group commented, ‘The government has shown little empathy for six- and seven-year-olds who are having to sit a test in nonsense words instead of being supported and encouraged to love reading. Like all standardised tests carried out during a pandemic, the phonics check fails to provide any useful information, doesn’t help to bridge learning gaps and places an additional burden on both teachers and pupils. These formal tests should be cancelled in this school year.’
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said that the latest research ‘strengthens’ the message that educators have been sending to government since the start of this school year.
She added, ‘Bringing back statutory assessment in the middle of the pandemic damages rather than supports children’s learning. The government is addicted to testing and can’t kick the habit, no matter what its consequences. We need Gavin Williamson to show some empathy with pupils and some understanding of what is most important, right now, in the work of schools. He should learn the lessons of this unnecessary test he has just put pupils through, and cancel all statutory assessment, including SATs, in 2021.’
A Department for Education spokesperson said, ‘Primary assessments are a central part of the approach to raising standards. Our assessment reforms are helping to ensure children leave primary school with a secure grasp of the fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum this helps lay the foundations for success at secondary school and beyond.
‘We trust teachers to administer these tests in an appropriate way and they should not be a source of stress for children. The tests enable teachers to track pupils’ progress, helping to make sure they stay on track to fulfil their potential throughout school.’
