Earlier this year, a Teacher Tapper got in touch to suggest we find out the most frequently used validated phonics schemes.
For those of you not up to speed with the often-contested world of phonics, let’s take a quick history lesson before we get on to answering the Tappster’s question…
First off, the rules: it is a statutory requirement to teach phonics at KS1 and administer the phonics screening check to pupils in KS1.
It is not statutory to use any particular scheme to teach phonics. However, since 2021 the DfE have ‘validated’ 48 systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) teaching programmes. The DfE emphasises that they (and Ofsted) do not have “a preferred programme or approach” but it is “important is that schools take an approach that is rigorous, systematic and used with fidelity.”
