Statutory guidance

Phonics screening check: local authority monitoring visits

Guidance for local authorities on how to conduct phonics screening check monitoring visits, including completing the monitoring visit form.

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Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to monitor the administration of the phonics screening check. This guidance outlines how local authority representatives should do this.

Monitoring visits help to ensure that:

  • the security and confidentiality of check materials are maintained
  • the phonics screening check is administered correctly and consistently

Monitoring visits also give headteachers a formal opportunity to demonstrate how their school is administering the phonics screening check.

At least 10% of schools administering the phonics screening check in a local authority must receive a visit. This includes:

  • participating pupil referral units or special schools
  • academies that have chosen to be monitored by the local authority
  • maintained nursery schools with registered pupils who will reach the age of 6 before the end of the school year

Local authorities should not arrange more than one visit to an individual school unless the Standards and Testing Agency raised specific concerns. We recommend that approximately:

  • 10% of visits take place during the week prior to the phonics screening check period
  • 80% of visits are carried out during the phonics screening check period
  • 10% of visits take place immediately after the phonics screening check period

We recommend that each local authority gives responsibility to one person to act as their monitoring visits co-ordinator. The monitoring visits co-ordinator should:

  • arrange monitoring visits
  • select monitoring visitors
  • brief monitoring visitors on the purpose, scope and procedures involved in conducting monitoring visits
  • provide monitoring visitors with the information they will need for the visits
  • process completed monitoring visit forms

Before any monitoring visits take place, local authorities may choose to contact all schools within their authority to explain the purpose of the visits and make them aware of this guidance. Local authorities may give the names of individuals involved in the visits, but must not identify any specific schools that will be visited in advance.

If schools receive a visit and wish to confirm the identity of any visitors, they should contact the local authority directly, or phone the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 if the visitor is from STA.

Published 29 April 2019
Last updated 25 March 2024 + show all updates
  1. Updated guidance for carrying out monitoring visits in 2024.

  2. Updated guidance for 2023

  3. Updated guidance for the current academic year

  4. Added a page note to inform users when the documentation on the page will be updated.

  5. First published.