In reading, pupils are taught to decode by identifying graphemes in written words from left to right, saying the corresponding phonemes, and blending those phonemes to say the whole word (Department for Education, 2023, p. 47).
 

The Reading Framework states:

“The number of graphemes in a word usually corresponds to the number of phonemes – hence the term ‘grapheme-phoneme correspondence’ (GPC).”

It adds:

“In a few cases, one grapheme represents two phonemes”

(Department for Education, 2023, p. 41).

In spelling, pupils are taught to say a word clearly, segment it into phonemes, and select graphemes to represent each phoneme in writing (Department for Education, 2025, p. 41).

Statutory spelling guidance further states that teachers should draw pupils’ attention to grapheme–phoneme correspondences that both do and do not fit with what has been taught so far (Department for Education, 2014, p. 75).

The purpose of this analysis is not to require validated SSP programmes to use identical teaching sequences. We are seeking consistency for all. Regardless of which validated SSP programme is being used, children and teachers should be given a consistent and phonologically accurate phoneme ↔ grapheme analysis of words. We therefore want to establish whether this is currently the case, and to identify where and why those analyses differ.
 

References

Department for Education. (2014). The national curriculum in England: English programmes of study. Appendix 1: Spelling. London: Department for Education.

Department for Education. (2023). The reading framework: Teaching the foundations of literacy. London: Department for Education.

Department for Education. (2025). The writing framework. London: Department for Education.