What it is
A free, no-sign-up website that organises phonics by UK year group. The structure follows the well-known Letters & Sounds phases for EYFS and Key Stage 1, then the National Curriculum's English Appendix 1 spelling rules from Year 3 onwards.
Who it's for
- Teachers — for whiteboard modelling, planning prompts, and pointing parents to a single trustworthy place.
- Parents and carers — for understanding what their child is learning and how to help at home without it feeling like school.
- Trainee and supply teachers — for a quick refresher on what each phase looks like.
Why "Sooty Woods"?
The site is meant to feel like a small woodland library — calm, warm, slightly old-fashioned. The sooty owl sits patiently on a stack of books because that's roughly the mood we wanted: time to think, no flashing prizes, no leaderboards.
What we deliberately don't do
- No accounts or logins.
- No tracking children's data.
- No autoplaying audio, no surprise sounds.
- No claims to be a complete validated SSP scheme — Sooty Woods is a resource alongside whichever scheme your school uses.
Curriculum references
- Letters and Sounds: Principles and Practice of High Quality Phonics, DfES, 2007 — the source of the phase structure.
- The National Curriculum in England, English Programmes of Study, Key Stages 1 and 2, DfE — particularly Appendix 1 (spelling) and the statutory word lists.
- Phonics screening check — administered to children in Year 1 each June.
A note on accents
All examples use Standard Southern British English. Children who speak with other UK accents (or English as an additional language) will hear some sounds slightly differently — that's normal and not a problem. Phonics teaches the spelling–sound system, not a particular accent.
Feedback
Found an error or got an idea? Sooty Woods is built quietly and updated when something needs tightening. Notes from teachers and parents are always welcome.