Reading at Our School

Our Intent: Growing Confident Readers

We believe that reading is the gateway to the world. As highlighted by the World Literacy Foundation, a child’s ability to read and acquire knowledge has a profound impact on their future success. At our school, reading is our top priority.

Our goal is simple: every child—regardless of their starting point—will become a fluent, confident, and independent reader. We aim to foster a genuine love for books, ensuring our pupils don't just "learn to read," but "read to learn" and read for pleasure.

How We Teach Reading (Implementation)

The Early Years: Phonics First Reading begins with the sounds of language. We use the Read Write Inc (RWI) phonics programme to give our youngest learners a flying start.

• Daily Lessons: Children take part in fast-paced sessions tailored to their specific needs.

• Beyond Decoding: We complement phonics with "purposeful talk" and shared reading to build a rich vocabulary from day one.

• Progress for All: We aim for all pupils to complete the RWI programme by the end of Key Stage 1. If a child needs extra time to master these skills, we continue to support them with RWI into Year 3.

Key Stage 2: Deepening Understanding Once children are fluent decoders, the focus shifts to immersion and comprehension.

• Whole-Class Reading: Pupils engage with daily lessons built around our "Reading Spines"—high-quality themed texts and novels.

• Building Knowledge: These sessions explore a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, designed to build "cultural capital" and a deep understanding of the world.

• The Power of the Story: Every child is read to by an adult every single day, ensuring they experience the magic of storytelling.

Reading for Pleasure Research shows that reading for fun is a major factor in a child’s wellbeing and academic growth. Through our well-stocked class libraries and school-wide initiatives, we encourage reading as a joyful alternative to digital distractions.

Writing at Our School

Our Intent: The Craft of the Writer

Writing is a complex craft, and we treat it as such. Our curriculum is built on the latest research, focusing on high-quality modelling and "thinking like a writer."

We don't believe in isolated worksheets. Instead, we teach grammar and vocabulary in context, showing children how to use language for specific effects. By breaking the writing process into manageable steps—planning, drafting, editing, and revising—we empower our pupils to become sophisticated, metacognitive thinkers.

How We Teach Writing (Implementation)

A Purposeful Journey Our daily writing lessons follow a long-term plan that links to the wider curriculum, ensuring children write with purpose across various genres, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

Scaffolded for Success

• Experience Lessons: Before we ask children to write, we immerse them in the topic through drama, research, or experiential learning. This ensures they have a wealth of ideas and vocabulary to draw upon.

• The Writing Cycle: Units of work provide high levels of support, guiding pupils from initial sentences to polished, independent pieces of writing.

• Consistency in KS1: In our younger years, we adapt our writing tasks to align with the Read Write Inc phonics stages, ensuring children only practice sounds they have mastered.

The Fundamentals: Handwriting & Spelling

• Spelling: We follow the Read Write Inc Spelling scheme, which uses interactive methods to help children master rules and patterns.

• Handwriting: We use the Penpals scheme, with daily sessions to help pupils develop a fluent, legible, and joined style.