Reading at Wyndcliffe Primary School

At Wyndcliffe Primary School, our fundamental aim is to teach every child to read as quickly as possible and become confident and enthusiastic life-long readers. We strive to teach children to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension skills, as well as developing their habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. These essential skills not only unlock doors to the rest of the curriculum, but also have a huge impact on children’s self-esteem and future life experiences.

At Wyndcliffe Primary School, our intent is to:

• Recognise that reading is the core skill to everything that children do. It is integral to our school curriculum and a fundamental life skill that impacts on the acquisition of knowledge.
• Develop positive attitudes towards reading so that it is a pleasurable and meaningful activity.
• Develop fluent, independent and reflective readers who are confident to talk about books and authors.
• Adopt the principles and recommendations set out in The Reading Framework (July 2023)
• Equip pupils with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the reading National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Our rich, book-based, Early Years curriculum, means that our children’s early reading skills are fostered from the very first day that they join us in school. Through our carefully planned and expertly delivered curriculum, our children are immersed within a world of stories and rhymes which embarks them on their reading journey. Staff will plan activities and experiences inside and outside of the classroom that will develop and embed:

• Print motivation
• Print awareness
• Letter knowledge
• Vocabulary development
• Narrative skills
• Phonological awareness

Phonics is our main approach to teaching early word reading in our school, with teachers using the Read Write Inc programme, which is a DfE approved systematic synthetic phonics programme. In Nursery, Reception and Year 1, pupils benefit from daily Read Write Inc sessions and are taught to retrieve and decode from appropriate texts. In order to understand character’s motives, actions, thoughts and feelings, they are taught the skills of inference. The Read Write Inc phonics programme teaches children from a young age, to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension. The children will also learn to form each letter, spell correctly, and compose their ideas step-by-step. We aim that all children have completed the programme by the end of Key Stage One. Children in Year One, will also take part in the statutory 'Phonics Screening Check', during the summer term. Year 2 children who have not passed the Phonic Screening Check in Year 1 and/or are newly arrived, will also participate in this programme. Those children who need additional support may also undertake phonic based interventions, during Key Stage Two.  You can find out more about the Read Write Inc programme here. 

From Year 2, Reading is taught using a whole class approach through high-quality, age-appropriate texts every half term. A lesson is made up of focuses where the teacher can teach 1or more of the following, 'Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension or Extended Reading'.

All pupils have opportunities to read on a one-to-one basis with an adult at least once a week.

As a result, they are immersed into the pleasure of reading. Teachers use a variety of teaching styles designed to illicit higher order responses from pupils.

The Wheel of Wellbeing is also embedded through the reading curriculum and supports key issues related to mental health through the lens of a key character.

Children in all classes have access to an inviting book corner, story time sessions and have a class book for a sustained period: this ensures that reading is correctly modelled to children as well as giving them the opportunity to enjoy being read to and a weekly slot in our well-stocked library. Also, each class will have an author to study over a half-term. Books from this chosen author are displayed in each classroom and are rotated on a half-termly basis.

Reading is also driven forward by the use of Accelerated Reader (AR). AR helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practise. Children pick a book at his or her own level and read it at their own pace. When finished, the children take a short quiz on the computer – passing the quiz is an indication that the child has understood what has been read. Teachers assist children by:

• Guiding them to books appropriate to their ability and interests
• Asking probing questions as the child reads and before quizzing
• Pairing children with others, reading with or reading to through our Peer Tutoring Programme

Since they are reading books at their own reading and interest levels, most children are likely to be successful and enjoy the books and quizzes.

Even at dinnertimes and playtimes, children have access to age-appropriate texts through the use of our Reading Trolleys. A designated member of staff is always on hand to support children who choose to read at this time.

Children also receive raffle tickets as incentives to read more. The more raffle tickets they collect the more of a chance they get to win a book, of their choice, from one of our vending machines.
 

Throughout their time at Wyndcliffe, children will be able to:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information and develop a love of books
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas

We carefully monitor the children’s reading at home and encourage parents to be fully active and engaged through INSPIRE workshops and communication through the use of reading diaries. Wyndcliffe also takes part in national celebrations of reading such as: World Book Day, Story Telling Week and Roald Dahl Day.

The school is determined that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities. All pupils, including the weakest readers, will make good or outstanding progress, to meet or exceed age-related expectations.