Reading is at the heart of all we do.  This is reflected in the huge investment we have made in our new fully decodable reading scheme (Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised) and our Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics scheme.  Our recent “Boogie for Books” has raised additional funds to further diversify our reading for pleasure books across the curriculum.

Our children experience a rich reading environment taking home a sharing book, a library book and one fully decodable book each week.  For our children who find the reading journey more challenging additional support is provided through intervention lessons, daily catch up and additional reading sessions.

Intent

At Trumps Green Infant School, we believe reading is the gateway to the curriculum. Reading is at the heart of all we do and is a key driver of our curriculum. We recognise that learning to read is fundamental to children's success in school and beyond. We want every child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to become an accurate, fluent and enthusiastic reader, enabling them to access the full curriculum and participate fully in school life.

It is our intention that every pupil, regardless of starting point or individual need, learns to read successfully. We have high expectations for all children, including those who are disadvantaged, have SEND, are known or have previously been known to children’s social care, or who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Our reading curriculum is designed so that these pupils can access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, with appropriate adaptations and support where needed. We do not lower our expectations because of a pupil’s starting point or individual circumstances; instead, we adapt teaching and provide additional support so that pupils can secure the essential knowledge and skills they need to become successful readers. We identify gaps in reading knowledge quickly and provide timely, targeted teaching and support so that pupils can overcome barriers, keep up with their peers and achieve well from their individual starting points.

What we intend pupils to know and do

We intend that pupils develop a secure and cumulative body of knowledge and skills in reading. They will learn and apply the alphabetic code; recognise and blend graphemes and phonemes; read unfamiliar words accurately; develop automatic recognition of familiar words; and increasingly read with fluency, accuracy, appropriate pace and expression. Alongside word reading, pupils will develop their knowledge of vocabulary, oral language and comprehension so that they can understand, discuss, question and respond to what they read.

Our curriculum deliberately develops the relationship between these aspects of reading. Secure phonics and accurate word reading provide the foundations for fluency; increasing fluency enables pupils to devote more attention to language and meaning; and growing vocabulary, background knowledge and language comprehension enable pupils to understand increasingly complex texts. Through this combination, pupils develop wider comprehension and become increasingly able to think deeply about and respond to what they read.

How reading develops from Reception to Year 2

Our reading curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 2, with knowledge and skills systematically taught, practised, revisited and built upon over time.

In Reception, pupils develop the foundations for successful reading. They learn the early alphabetic code, develop phonemic awareness, practise blending and segmenting, and apply their developing phonic knowledge to fully decodable texts. Alongside this, they develop vocabulary, oral language, listening comprehension and a love of books through rich shared texts and daily story experiences.

In Year 1, pupils build on their phonics knowledge to read increasingly unfamiliar words accurately and automatically. They develop greater fluency and begin to read with increasing expression and confidence. Their vocabulary and comprehension continue to develop through a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, enabling them to discuss texts, retrieve information, make connections and explain their ideas.

In Year 2, pupils consolidate and apply their phonics knowledge and develop increasingly fluent and confident reading. They build a wider vocabulary and broader background knowledge and develop their ability to understand, discuss and respond to increasingly demanding texts. They increasingly use reading independently to acquire knowledge across the curriculum and to read for pleasure.

Reading for the wider curriculum and for pleasure

We intend that pupils understand that reading is both a subject in its own right and a means of learning across the curriculum. Through carefully selected texts, children develop the vocabulary, background knowledge and comprehension needed to understand new concepts and acquire knowledge in subjects beyond English. Reading therefore enables pupils to become increasingly independent learners.

We want every child to experience the joy and value of reading. We provide a rich and diverse range of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and other texts that reflect different experiences, cultures, perspectives and interests. Through daily story times, class texts, library experiences and opportunities to choose and share books, we aim to develop a lasting love of reading and a desire to read widely and independently.

Intended end points

By the time children leave Trumps Green Infant School, we intend that they will have developed the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for the next stage of their education. They will be increasingly fluent and confident readers who can:

• apply their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words accurately;
• read familiar texts with increasing fluency, automaticity and appropriate expression;
• understand and explain the meaning of words and phrases, including newly encountered vocabulary;
• demonstrate age-appropriate comprehension of fiction, non-fiction and poetry;
• retrieve information, make connections, discuss ideas and respond thoughtfully to what they read;
• use an expanding vocabulary and background knowledge to understand the wider curriculum;
• choose, share and discuss books and develop positive attitudes towards reading; and
• read increasingly independently for both learning and pleasure.

Our reading curriculum is therefore designed to ensure that all children make progress from their individual starting points, secure the essential foundations of reading, and develop the knowledge, fluency, comprehension and confidence to become successful lifelong readers.

Implementation

• High quality systematic teaching of synthetic phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Phonics is taught daily for 20-30 minutes, following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, to all children in Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2.
• Planning is based upon Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme.  Lessons follow the revisit and review/teach/practise/apply format. Staff systematically teach learners blending and segmenting. There is fidelity to the programme.
• All staff receive regular Little Wandle training and coaching to ensure consistent delivery of the programme.
• Phonics is applied and reinforced throughout the day through targeted activities in Continuous Provision in Reception (either independently or through teacher led activities) and through application in all subjects in Years 1 and 2.
• As soon as children start in Reception they are introduced to books.  As a whole class children look at, share and talk about their books together.  This is continued throughout Reception during their weekly library sessions.  Individual reading books are introduced to children on a 1-1 basis with the teachers modelling the reading of the books.  Parents attend a Reading meeting in September where they are introduced to process of teaching reading and supporting early reading is modelled to them.  Children in Reception and Year 1 take home weekly phonics home learning which contain the phonemes taught for the week to practise at home.  This, along with reading, is set as daily home learning.
• Phase 2 activities are planned into continuous provision and targeted adult led keep-up sessions for those children who need to consolidate Phase 2. 
• In the spring term, following regular Little Wandle assessments, pupils in Reception are grouped according to the phase they are securely working within so teaching precisely matches their current phonic knowledge.. In Years 1 and 2 phonics is continued to be delivered in ability-groups.
• Children read each fully decodable book three times across the week to develop accuracy, automaticity, fluency and comprehension in line with Little Wandle guidance
• All children practise early reading with fully decodeable books.  Every child is assessed on a half termly basis.  Once children are reading fluently, confidently and with good comprehension (End of phase 5), they move on to the Little Wandle Fluency scheme.   
• Before starting the book the phonemes contained within the book are practised and children and teachers blend and segment the words.  The high frequency words within the book are introduced as well as any new vocabulary with its meaning being explained.
• Comprehension skills are taught from the very beginning of reading with teachers checking children’s understanding of class books as well as individual readers and children being encouraged to generate their own questions.  In Years 1 and 2 children take part in Book Talk lessons for each of their Talk For Writing Units. 
• All children in Year 1 and Year 2 take part in daily Reading Practice sessions. Once children have completed the Little Wandles Letters and Sounds revised programme, fluency is assessed on a termly basis and interventions put in place for those who need it. 
• Keep-up sessions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels as soon as needs are identified.  The key 20% of all readers in all year groups receive interventions three times a week either through additional phonics sessions or targeted reading sessions.
• All classrooms have their own class reading areas.
• Children experience high-quality daily story times where adults model fluent expressive reading and introduce ambitious vocabulary through carefully selected texts.
• Trumps Green Infant school celebrates reading throughout the year.  During our annual book week we visit our local library, with all members of staff share their favourite stories, we have author visits, perform poetry recitations, have drama workshops and celebrate our love of books.

Impact

Children leave Trumps Green as fluent, confident readers who enjoy reading for pleasure and are equipped to access the next stage of their education.

Pupils demonstrate:

• secure phonic knowledge
• increasing fluency, accuracy and prosody
• age-appropriate comprehension skills
• growing vocabulary
• confidence discussing books and authors
• positive attitudes towards reading.

Our assessment systems demonstrate:

• Assessment information demonstrates that pupils make strong progress from their starting points and that any child at risk of falling behind is identified quickly and receives immediate support.
• most pupils achieve the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check
• Pupils who require additional support receive immediate Little Wandle keep-up sessions, enabling them to catch up quickly.
• disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND make good progress through targeted support.

 

Leaders regularly evaluate the quality of reading through lesson visits, coaching, pupil voice, book scrutiny, assessment analysis and moderation to ensure consistently high standards and continual improvement.