Reading



Our Mission

We intend to achieve our vision by supporting children to build confidence in all of these key areas: generating a love for reading; phonics; fluency; vocabulary; comprehension and phonemic awareness.

     • Generating a love for reading through the promotion of a reading curriculum, which actively celebrates 

       diversity in culture and language. This will in turn, develop in our learners, a love of reading which not only

       aids their learning, but also enriches their lives.

     • Phonics is at the heart of early decoding success and we support this by employing a systematic

       approach to the teaching of phonics. This is achieved through using a variety of strategies from whole-

       class teaching sessions, group intervention sessions and one-to-one support. All children will be provided

       with reading materials matched to their reading ability.

     • Fluency we encourage child to read across every curriculum subject and within specific reading lessons.

       Learners are encouraged to read independently, with peers, with adults and to the class. Every child has

       access to a levelled book, which is assigned by its teacher and a range of free choice reading materials

       across all genres, available in the classroom and in the library.

     • Vocabulary development is achieved by the way, in which our creative curriculum is enhanced by the use

       of high quality shared texts, which exposes children to ambitious and technical vocabulary.

     • Comprehension skills are taught with VIPERS. Every year builds on the previous year and learners are

       encouraged to identify the VIPERS skill that they are using to answer a specific question. In readiness for

       Key Stage Three, upper school start to apply these skills in their responses to PEE style questions. A whole-

       school approach to the assessment of comprehension is used in order for progress and attainment to be

       measured consistently

   •  Phonemic awareness is encouraged through developing learners understanding of language patterns. For

       learners to develop the ability to identify rhyme, alliteration and syllables, especially through our teaching

       of poetry.

Reading in Key Stage 2

Across the school, all children experience three guided reading sessions, a library / independent read session and a comprehension session. They have daily access to levelled book selection and weekly access to the library. Where an area of need is identified then the following interventions are put in place:

Lower KS2

Reading in Lower Key Stage 2 continues to follow the Read, Write, Inc scheme, which is used in the Infant School. All children re-visit set 2 and set 3 phonics as part of a daily phonic session at the beginning of year 3. The children who require further reinforcement receive an extra phonics intervention daily and take home phonics matched books. Children who have reached the expected phonics attainment level choose books from our colour-level reading book selection, matched to their reading ability to share with adults in school and with adults at home. All children can also have a free choice personal-interest reading book from the book collections at school.

Upper KS2

Children continue to read their colour level books and have free choice from the school selection. If an area of need is identified then children will be offered an appropriate intervention.



Reading Enrichment Activities

     • Reader of the week presented in weekly celebration assembly

     • Roald Dahl Day

     • World Book Day

     • National Poetry Day

     • Focus author

     • Reading Ambassadors

     • Reading Champions (year 3 & 4)

     • Author visits

     • Reading competitions

     • Shared / paired reading

     • Classroom reading area

     • School library

     • Reading volunteers

     • Core text for English lessons

     • Story time