Reading in our Federation

🌟 Our Vision

We aim to develop fluent, confident readers who not only understand what they read but truly enjoy it. Our approach is built on a strong foundation of phonics, fluency, comprehension, and a love for literature. We believe reading should be both purposeful and pleasurable, and we are committed to building a reading culture that nurtures a lifelong passion for books.

🔤 Phonics First: A Strong Start

Our children’s reading journey begins with high-quality phonics instruction using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. All staff are fully trained to deliver this systematic, synthetic phonics approach, ensuring consistency and confidence across the school. This programme builds on the work of our pre-school settings and allows us to provide targeted interventions and timely support. It prepares children to meet and exceed expectations in the Phonics Screening Check and supports their readiness for more advanced reading.

📚 Fluency and Comprehension

As children move beyond early phonics, our focus expands to developing reading fluency and comprehension. Children are taught to read accurately, with expression, and to engage deeply with a variety of texts. Where additional support is needed, personalised catch-up programmes are in place to help every child progress. Reading continues at home through initiatives like Reading Rockets, encouraging a strong link between school and home learning. In Key Stage 2, children work with increasingly complex texts to build their retrieval and inference skills, learning to discuss and reflect on what they’ve read using all content domains.

💬 Language-Rich and Vocabulary-Focused

We believe in exposing our children to a wide range of high-quality literature. The texts we use are carefully chosen to reflect both modern and classical works, offering rich vocabulary and diverse themes. Books are linked to our creative curriculum and often reflect the interests of both pupils and staff. Reading lessons promote the ethos of Reading for Pleasure by encouraging enjoyment, motivation, and positive reader identities. Children are taught to see themselves as readers and to make personal connections with the texts they explore.

💬 Language-Rich and Vocabulary-Focused

We believe in exposing our children to a wide range of high-quality literature. The texts we use are carefully chosen to reflect both modern and classical works, offering rich vocabulary and diverse themes. Books are linked to our creative curriculum and often reflect the interests of both pupils and staff. Reading lessons promote the ethos of Reading for Pleasure by encouraging enjoyment, motivation, and positive reader identities. Children are taught to see themselves as readers and to make personal connections with the texts they explore.

📘 Reading Beyond Phonics

Once children have secured the foundations of phonics through the Little Wandle programme and are confident, fluent readers, our focus shifts towards deepening their understanding of texts. We use high-quality, whole class texts to teach reading, enabling all pupils to access rich vocabulary, complex themes, and varied genres together.

Our reading sessions are structured to develop key comprehension skills through focused questioning and discussion. Children are taught to retrieve key information, make predictions, and use inference and deduction to interpret character motivations and author intent. Through this shared approach, pupils not only learn to analyse texts more deeply but also benefit from collaborative discussions that broaden their perspectives and build critical thinking. We ensure that the texts chosen are engaging, age-appropriate, and link meaningfully to other areas of the curriculum to make learning relevant and enjoyable.

🏫 Beyond the Classroom

Reading at our school goes far beyond lessons. Each classroom features a dedicated, inviting reading area. Staff read aloud to children every day, modelling expressive and enthusiastic reading that fosters a love for stories and storytelling. Our pupils also benefit from a variety of enrichment opportunities, including World Book Day celebrations, visits from authors, and trips to the Cheltenham Literature Festival. These experiences inspire children and help bring books to life in meaningful ways.

❤️ Our Goal

Our ultimate aim is for all children to leave us as confident, thoughtful readers who enjoy reading and value it as an essential part of their lives. We want every child to feel that reading is something they can succeed in, something they can enjoy, and something that will continue to open doors to new worlds and ideas throughout their education and beyond.