Reading

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. This is achieved through:  

• Early Learning Goals in YR
• Daily Phonics learning in FS/KS1
• In Key Stage 1 and Year 3, our core reading scheme, The Oxford Reading Tree, is supplemented with a range of good quality fiction and non-fiction books.  The reading scheme gives children the opportunity to practise their developing reading skills with texts which have appropriate vocabulary and sentence structure.  From autumn 2019, every child in KS1 will also have a carefully graded Phonically Decodable book matched to their level, which will go alongside their reading scheme book. 
• In FS/KS1 children have timetabled individual reading sessions where they are encouraged to read independently for sustained periods and are heard by class teachers and teaching assistants. The teacher will aim to listen to each child once a fortnight.
• In Y3 pupils become Free readers and teachers will carefully guide children’s book choices matching ability and interest. 
• Children are taught independent book choice skills as part of library and literacy sessions on an on-going basis.
• Whole class and group teaching of reading following the New National Curriculum 2014.  We follow the Hamilton Scheme of Work for English in KS1/2 which are adapted accordingly.
• In KS2, through shared reading, pupils are also given a rich experience of more challenging texts.