New Zealand Copied Our Phonics Check: 26%, Then 35%

Forty words, real and made-up, read one child at a time — any Year 1 teacher in England knows the check. From 2025 New Zealand runs it twice in a child's first year, on top of a national structured-literacy mandate and an hour a day of reading. The first results: 26% at expectation after forty weeks in term one, 35% by term three. A Year 1 teacher and a document-reader work out what a country that just adopted England's model can actually tell England — and why the one number you can't compare is the headline one.

Printable one-pager for this episode, free: https://theeducationcommute.co.uk/#newsletter-staff

Two free newsletters, one for staff and one for parents and carers, same evidence written for the person reading it.

Sources: NZ Government — Transforming how our children learn to read (2 May 2024) https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/transforming-how-our-children-learn-read · NZ Ministry of Education — Phonics checks and Terms 1 to 3, 2025 results https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/phonics-checks-t32025-results · NZ Ministry of Education — One hour a day https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/one-hour-a-day · DfE — Phonics screening check attainment 2024/25 https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/phonics-screening-check-attainment/2024-25

Both voices on this show are synthesised; the research, reading and editorial judgement are done by a serving practitioner.

Strand: Global Pioneers