English - Reading

Intent and Implementation

EYFS/Key Stage 1 –

Much of the language work dovetails closely with the development of reading skills.  Reading begins with the teaching of phonics. Children are taught in stages for phonics and will have access to a wide range ofresources to help them develop their phonological awareness.  The letters and Sounds Programme is followed for phonics and teachers use Phonics Play to deliver the 6 phases of phonics.

Early priority is given to the development of reading ability in respect to the level and range of words the pupils are able to decode and read aloud. The aim is to expose pupils to texts where 95% of words can be read but 5% form the basis of new learning. Therefore, all pupils are carefully tracked through the school’s Rising Stars reading scheme links directly to phonics and helps the children apply their phonic knowledge to help them start their reading journey.  Children will be given new books regularly and we encourage all children to read at home daily.  

Pupils are expected to complete home reading supported by parents with books sent on at least a weekly basis books links directly to the phonics being studied.  We encourage books to be re read to gain fluency and understanding. Reading books contain questions and discussion points at the back of the book which support our VIPERS approach to comprehension.

Year 3 – Intent – A continued priority is given to the development of reading ability with the ambition that all pupils are free readers by the time they leave Year 3. This pivotal year represents a transitional period towards the more direct approach of whole-class teaching. All pupils who have yet to read a level of independent reading are prioritized in intervention maps with further reading opportunities provided until they have reached this level. Parents advised home reading 5 times a week is expected and planners are checked regularly to ensure reading at home.

Key Stage 2 – Intent – Beyond this transitional class however, reading is taught as a shared approach., following an altered deeper thinking VIPERS approach:

In addition to the taught skills, there is an aim to develop efficiency, independence and breadth.  In UKS2 Reading Plus is used to develop childrens understanding, fluency and comprehension.  The programme uses, short text extracts from a range of genres and classic texts as well as class readers are the basis for these independent comprehension tasks.  Sessions are carried out at least 3x per week and children are encouraged to access the programme at home for home learning.   In addition, the element of eff with the tracking of reading speed and subsequent intervention work given. Finally, there is an ongoing expectation of developing breadth and enjoyment through a shared whole class book.  Which is selected to be at a level that the children within the class would find difficult to access independently.  This is to challenge their comprehension skills and to help foster a love of reading. 

Impact

The impact of the teaching of reading is achieved through range of areas:

• Judgements of objectives  linked to in-class teaching together with termly Accelerated Reading & Reading Plus tests are used to establish the level at which pupils are Comprehending.
• Weekly monitoring of home reading is primarily used to track the reading level or ‘age’ of the pupils although this progresses more into the assessment of reading speed once pupils are deemed to be free readers.
• All assessments are judged termly through a data validation process in data, books and teaching are reviewed by the subject leader and discussed with each teacher to ensure an accuracy in assessment. All SEND and pupil premium champions track these cohorts specifically on a half-termly basis and conduct pupil progress reviews twice yearly. 
• Within the EYFS, key milestones have been identified across the year and these are used to assess the children’s progress towards meeting the ELG for reading; this enables the more timely identification of any gaps that need addressing.