Phonics check branded 'a waste of money'

The first interim report by the National Federation for Educational Research for the Department for Education also concluded that many schools believe that phonics should be used alongside other methods to teach children to read.

This is at odds with education secretary Michael Gove's insistence that 'systematic synthetic phonics' should be used as the only method of teaching children to read.

The findings are based on interviews with staff in 14 primary schools and 1,800 Year 1 teachers and literacy co-ordinators, the week after the first reading check took place.

Around 600,000 children took the check last June. Just under six out of ten six-year-olds met the standard required by the new phonics reading check, the results of the first year of the test showed.

Most of the teachers interviewed for the research said that the check would have 'minimal, if any, impact on the standard of reading and writing in their school in the future.'

The report also said, 'Year 1 teachers had mixed views on whether the standard of the check was appropriate, with slightly more teachers suggesting it was too difficult.'

Teachers also raised issues about the suitability of the reading check for children with special educational needs, children with 'high ability', and pupils whose first language is not English.