Our Approach to Phonics at Corinthian Primary School

We use the structured and successful Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme to deliver our Phonics teaching across the school.

Phonics Curriculum Overview

• Early Years (Pre-Nursery, Nursery, and Reception): In the earliest years, children are immersed in language through daily stories, songs, poems, and sound play. In Reception, they are formally introduced to the simple alphabetic code, learning one distinct way to represent each sound (phoneme).

• Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2): Children systematically build on their foundational knowledge by applying previously learned sounds (graphemes) and exploring the alternative representations of phonemes and graphemes (for example, the 'ay' in play, 'a-e' in make, and 'ai' in rain).

Delivery of Daily Phonics

Phonics instruction takes place daily in focused, small groups tailored to each child's current level of learning. These sessions are mandatory for all children in Reception and Key Stage 1.

The core components of a daily RWI session involve teaching children how to:

• Read and recognise a new sound.

• Write the corresponding grapheme (spelling) for the new sound.

• Apply this knowledge to read and spell words containing the new sound, integrating them with previously taught sounds.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring

The Phonics Lead in school has overall responsibility for monitoring the progress of every child in their journey to becoming a fluent reader.

• Children complete a short Phonics assessment at the end of each half-term. This ensures that every child is making expected progress and allows for the immediate identification of any learning gaps or the need for extra support.

• All Year 1 children undertake the statutory Phonics Screening Check during the summer term. Any child who does not meet the national standard at the end of Year 1 will receive intensive support throughout Year 2 to help them achieve this national standard.

Partnership with Parents

We believe strongly in the impact of practice at home. We actively work to empower our parents by providing the necessary knowledge and resources to support their children. This includes offering regular, well-attended Phonics workshops throughout the academic year.

For more information about how we teach early reading, please contact Mrs Williams, our RWI Lead.