In line with the 2019 Ofsted Framework and the DfE 2021 Reading Framework, at Victoria Dock Primary School our intent is that every child becomes a confident and fluent reader by the end of Key Stage One. We would like to instil a real love of books and reading for pleasure within our children and we will do this by exposing them to a wide range of carefully chosen texts including fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Our phonics teaching will ensure that children develop the relevant phonics skills to be able to confidently decode written words. Whilst doing this we will ensure that they have access to a fully decodable book that matches their phonics teaching to encourage independence and increase confidence. Our teaching of guided reading will build on this fluency by ensuring that the fluent readers expand their knowledge of strategies for reading alongside developing key comprehension skills. The texts we use for whole class reading will be carefully chosen to ensure maximum engagement of the children.
To ensure no child is left behind, class teachers will quickly identify children who are at risk of falling behind in reading and put quality interventions into place as soon as possible.
In EYFS, Key Stage One (and for those children in Year 3 that still need it) Systematic phonics is the prime approach to teaching reading. Children will receive daily phonics and reading lessons following the Read Write Inc programme until they complete the programme and can read fluently.
Children at risk of not meeting the required standards for the year group are identified quickly receive 1:1 phonics intervention to help accelerate progress. For children with specific SEND needs, Read Write Inc provision is adapted and personalised to ensure that it meets the needs of the individual learners. These children will be tracked and assessed using the Read Write Inc small steps documents.
Once children can sound and blend words confidently, accurately and fluently they are placed into guided reading groups. Here, the focus shifts onto comprehension and a whole class/group guided reading approach is adopted in each year group. Each class/group has a high-quality class text and all guided reading work centres around this. This could be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Questions styles are varied to ensure they meet the needs of the individual year group curriculum and the needs of our individual children. Each classroom has a reading area that is stocked with carefully chosen, high quality and age-appropriate texts. Children are encouraged to use the reading area and borrow books to read at home.
Children are assessed at the end of each term using Test Base reading papers in Years 3, 4 and 5 and using previous years SATS papers in Years 2 and 6. Teacher assessments are also made at the end of each term using teacher judgement and evidence in the children’s guided reading books.
All children will have the opportunity to make at least good progress and achieve to their full potential. Children will read a wide variety of texts, which in turn will lead to them developing a wider vocabulary and a greater understanding of the world around them. Children will leave Victoria Dock Primary School fluent and confident readers with a real love of reading and outcomes will reflect this.
