Phonics and times tables check practiceSchool Checks
Calm, friendly practice at home for the two June checks in English primary schools: the Year 1 phonics screening check and the Year 4 multiplication tables check. Your child reads 40 real and alien words aloud while you mark them, with help for every alien word, then sees which sounds to practise. For times tables there are timed practice checks in the published format and a star map that shows the gaps. Zib, a friendly alien, guides your child, and you stay in charge.
Not on Google Play yet. Free: your first phonics practice check, your first times tables practice check, single letter sounds, daily practice on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, and one child. Pro is a school year plan or a one-time lifetime unlock, and both unlock exactly the same things. No weekly or monthly plans.
What it does
- Phonics practice checks in the published structure: 40 words in two sections, alien words with a creature, then real words
- New words every time, built from the published sounds for each section and never copied from past checks
- You mark each word with two big buttons, with help for every alien word and the other readings to accept
- Results by section and by real and alien words, and the sounds to practise next
- Sounds and word practice with optional sound buttons, in a literacy font with the a and g children learn
- Times tables practice checks: 25 questions, 6 seconds each, built to the published rules
- The star map: every fact from 2 × 2 to 12 × 12, and each quick fact becomes a star
- About 5 minutes of daily practice aimed at the gaps, and a gentle plan for the weeks until June
- Options like the real check's arrangements: time alert, questions read aloud, a Next button, bigger numbers and colour schemes
- Pro: unlimited practice checks, all sounds, every table, unlimited children, full history and printable sheets
- No account and no internet permission, and names and progress never leave the phone
Articles
Questions
When can I get it?
School Checks is not on Google Play yet. This page will link to it when it launches.
Is School Checks free?
Yes, to try. Your first phonics practice check and your first times tables practice check are free, with single letter sounds and daily practice on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, for one child. Pro is a school year plan or a one-time lifetime unlock, with exactly the same features either way. There are no weekly or monthly plans, and you can cancel the yearly plan at any time in Google Play.
Is it the same as the real phonics check?
It follows the published structure: 40 words in two sections of 20, four words to a page, alien words first in each section with a creature beside each one, then real words. The words follow the published letter and sound list for each section, and every word is our own. The results show the 2026 standard of 31 out of 40 for context, but a practice score is a guide, not a prediction. School Checks is made by Zarkon, an independent UK app studio, and is not made by, linked to or approved by the Standards and Testing Agency or the Department for Education.
What about the times tables check?
The practice checks use the same format as the Year 4 multiplication tables check: 3 warm up questions, then 25 questions with 6 seconds for each and a 3 second pause, built to the published rules with a new set every time. The timer is a moon that travels round a ring, with no red and no flashing.
Why do I mark the phonics words myself?
We tested offline speech recognition on phonics words. It could not judge made-up words reliably, even from adult voices, and young children are harder still. A grown-up listening is more accurate, so the app never uses the microphone.
What happens to my child's data?
Nothing leaves the phone. There is no account and no analytics, the app does not use the advertising ID, and it does not ask for internet access. Names and progress are saved in the app's own storage, are not backed up to the cloud, and are deleted when you remove a child or uninstall the app.
Can brothers and sisters use it?
Yes. The free version has one child. Pro allows as many children as you like, each with their own buddy, progress, settings and history.
School Checks is nearly here
It will be on Google Play soon. Questions in the meantime? Email us