English - Reading

Intent

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” – Margaret Fuller

At the heart of our educational philosophy is the firm belief that fostering a love of reading is paramount. Each phase of education—from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Key Stage 2 (KS2)—is designed to enhance students' reading abilities and instil a lifelong passion for literature.

Our primary objective is to cultivate a vibrant reading culture that motivates every child to engage with texts joyfully and confidently. In EYFS and KS1, we utilise the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme. This structured phonics programme is instrumental in developing early reading skills, enabling children to decode words effectively, thus laying the groundwork for fluent reading. By promoting phonemic awareness and blending, RWI empowers young learners to progress steadily into more complex texts.

As children transition into Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2), we aim to expand their textual awareness by incorporating diverse genres and formats. This includes the encouragement of class book votes in EYFS, where children are actively involved in choosing stories. By immersing books into their environment, we create a rich tapestry of literary experiences that spark curiosity and excitement about reading.

Implementation

In EYFS, the implementation of the RWI programme occurs daily, ensuring systematic phonics instruction supplemented with engaging texts. Teachers carefully select high-quality texts to focus on each week that reflect children's interests and expand their horizons. The class environment is adorned with books, creating a reading-rich atmosphere that invites exploration and discovery.

As students move into KS1 they continue with daily RWI interventions. Once children have completed this scheme, they move into a comprehension group where they focus on developing comprehension skills of entire texts. Reading activities continue to be accessible through tutor tables and continuous provision. 

In KS2, we maintain a structured literacy approach; we introduce a different text each week that serves as the backbone for targeted reading strategies. Focus areas in these sessions include vocabulary enrichment, retrieval skills, inference, summarisation, and prediction techniques. Each of these skills is chosen to deepen readers’ comprehension and analytical abilities, encouraging them to think critically about the materials they encounter. Where possible, texts link to the children’s learning journey and become progressively more challenging as they move through the school.

Additionally, we incorporate Reading Plus, an innovative online reading programme aimed at improving reading fluency and comprehension. It personalises learning experiences according to each child's reading level, making it a central part of our KS2 curriculum. The programme integrates engaging texts with interactive features that motivate students to explore and understand a variety of stories.

Crucially, each class has a dedicated class reader—an engaging text chosen by the teacher that fosters community discussions around literature. This shared reading experience reinforces a communal love of storytelling and encourages children to connect with texts on a personal level.

Reading interventions, such a speedy phonics and PIXL interventions, are used throughout KS1 and KS2 to ensure children develop strong reading skills. These targeted strategies help identify children who are finding reading difficult and work to enhance understanding and comprehension. This works towards developing a solid foundation for lifelong literacy, enabling students to progress confidently.

Impact

Our reading curriculum has a demonstrable impact on student engagement and achievement. The structured introduction of phonic skills in EYFS leads to a higher percentage of children achieving early reading benchmarks. Observations and feedback indicate that students are more confident and enthusiastic about reading, often sharing book recommendations within their peer groups.

In KS2, the targeted reading strategies have resulted in improved comprehension skills, as evidenced by performance data and classroom assessments. Over time our reading data have been consistently strong with results equal to or greater than the national average for KS2 outcomes. We also have a large number of children scoring greater depth level and who have a real passion for reading. Children are not only able to retrieve information and summarise texts more effectively, but they also demonstrate a growing ability to infer and make predictions about forthcoming events in stories.

The integration of Reading Plus has shown significant progress in reading fluency and comprehension scores, with children responding positively to the interactive nature of the programme. Feedback indicates that students enjoy their reading journeys and are eager to explore new texts beyond the classroom setting.

Through a collective commitment to nurturing a love of reading, we are confident that each child will continue to embrace literature as they grow, paving the way for them to become informed, empathetic leaders of tomorrow.