Interim outcome evaluation: Reading Planet: Rocket Phonics Trial 2021-2023

This is an interim report of the first outcome evaluation to assess the impact of the new Reading Planet:
Rocket Phonics programme. Impact was assessed by examining the reading attainment and phonics
knowledge of Year R and Year 1 pupils in 13 schools which had self-selected to use the new Reading
Planet: Rocket Phonics programme, and comparing this to 7 business-as-usual control schools. Phonics
knowledge was assessed at baseline, confirming that the children in control and Reading Planet: Rocket
Phonics schools began with similar skills. Results from the Year R cohort showed promising signs of
progress in both reading attainment and phonics knowledge when receiving the Reading Planet: Rocket
Phonics programme, which appeared to exceed that of control schools. Although the difference was not
reliable, by the end of the first year of trialling, pupils in schools using Reading Planet: Rocket Phonics
were on average around 5 standard scores ahead of those in control schools, the equivalent to 10
months difference in reading age. Results from Year 1 were extremely varied and difficult to draw
conclusions from. Across both cohorts, there was wide variation in the impact of the programme in
different schools. Information from the independent process evaluation about compliance and fidelity
should be used to help interpretation of these findings. It will be important to follow up Year R pupils
next year, once the pupils are in Year 1 and have completed the full programme. Future trials should
examine the impact of the Reading Planet: Rocket Phonics programme with a larger number of schools to
increase power to detect significance.