At the Whinless Down Academy Trust we truly believe that Learning Changes Lives and it is our mission through our ethos, values and vision to inspire our children to be aspirational. We are fully committed to enabling all children to become competent and fluent readers, as this unlocks access to the curriculum and to future learning.

EYFS & KS1 

Pupil voice from Year R:

 

We have to chunk long words like muffin.

I like reading because we learn so many sounds.

Phonics

We believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading daily through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds revised programme, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. As a result, our children are able to tackle unfamiliar words as they read.

We also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.

Daily phonics lessons

We teach phonics for 30 minutes a day. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers. Children make a strong start in Reception: teaching begins in the Autumn term. Year 1 and 2 currently deliver 2 x 30 minute phonics lessons a day to ensure children's learning is in line with national expectations. 

We follow the Little Wandle programme expectations: 

• Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.
• Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught t read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.

Daily Keep up lessons to ensure every child learns to read

Any child who needs additional practice has daily Keep-up support, taught by a fully trained adult. Keep-up lessons match the structure of class teaching, and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition, so that every child secures their learning.

Pupil voice from Year 1:

Reading lessons are fun; they help us to learn lots of new words.

I like trying to spell the words and reading them.

Reading

We value reading as a crucial life skill. By the time children leave us, they read confidently for meaning and regularly enjoy reading for pleasure. Our readers are equipped with the tools to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary

We teach children to read through reading practice sessions three times a week. These:

• are taught by a fully trained adult in small groups of approximately six children
• use books matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments and book matching guidance. 
• Each reading practice session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory. The reading practice sessions have been designed to focus on three key reading skills: decoding, prosody (teaching children to read with understanding and expression) and comprehension.

Reading at home 

Children have access to the same book that they read in school. This allows children to practice and read the book fluently. Children also have access to a sharing book, which parents read alongside their children in order to develop their vocabulary and continue to develop their reading skills. 

Pupil voice from Year 2:

I like picture books because they tell me a lot and fact books tell me different facts about all sorts of things.

I feel like I’m learning new words and listening to the teacher always helps because I can hear words clearly.

KS2

Reading is a cherished part of our daily routine in every year group. We offer reading across all our subjects and choose fiction, non-fiction, poetry and picture books, which excite, inform and interest our pupils. These rich texts allow pupils from all backgrounds to be given the vocabulary and knowledge they need to access current and future learning.

"Reading widely often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds." (2014 National Curriculum)

Phonics

We Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up to support any pupil in KS2 who is not fully fluent at reading or has not passed the Phonics Screening Check and this has been a focus for the school following the pandemic. We use the Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up and Fluency assessments to identify the gaps in their phonic knowledge and teach to these using the Rapid Catch Up resources.

Reading Champions

Our reading champions programme support pupils to develop their reading skills further, whether this is a pupil lacking confidence or a confident pupil needing to practise rehearsal and extend their comprehension skills. As part of the reading champions programme, children will have an opportunity to discuss and explore unknown vocabulary, group read, read for pleasure, discuss favourite books and authors, and practise and rehearse reading skills.

Must Reads

Each class in Years 2 to Year 6 have a selection of high-quality texts across different genres appropriate to their age range. Throughout the year, children ‘must read’ a range of books from differing categories, such as classics or poetry. This ensure that children are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts as well as allowing them to become discerning readers. The 'Must Read' list enables each child to understand their own preferences whilst preventing them from limiting their reading choices. Our ‘Must Reads’ selection also supports our vocabulary development programme, which is crucial for pupils to be exposed to rich vocabulary, enhancing both their written and spoken English.

Reading at Home

As part of our home learning, we encourage parents to read with their children daily. Precious memories are created through the sharing of a book with a child and these moments are crucial in developing good reading habits, practising and rehearsing their skills, and establishing children’s love of reading. 

Pupil voice from Year 3:

I enjoy reading funny stories and interesting books.

We learn to read so that we can get more knowledge and learn things. 

Ensuring reading for pleasure

‘Reading for pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s success.’ (OECD 2002)

‘The will influences the skill and vice versa.’ (OECD 2010)

We value reading for pleasure highly and work hard as a school to grow our Reading for Pleasure pedagogy.

• We read to children every day. We choose these books carefully as we want children to experience a wide range of books, including books that reflect the children and our local community, as well as books that open windows into other worlds and cultures.
• Every classroom has an accessible book corner that encourages a love for reading. We ensure a range of familiar fiction and non-fiction texts are shared and rotated regularly. These are carefully chosen to ensure they support the progression of children’s vocabulary across the school.
• In Nursery/Reception, children have access to the reading corner every day in their continuous provision and the books are continually refreshed. Books are also available is other areas in the classroom as part of continuous provision e.g. texts about construction in the construction area.
• Children from Reception onwards have a home reading record. The parent/carer records comments in it to share with the adults in school..  
• Children across the school have regular opportunities to engage with a wide range of Reading for Pleasure events (book fairs, author visits and workshops, national events etc).