Our Approach to Reading

At Sir Henry Fermor CE Primary School, we believe that reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Reading underpins success across the curriculum and helps children develop confidence, independence and a lifelong love of learning.

Our aim is for every child to become a fluent, enthusiastic reader who enjoys reading for both pleasure and purpose.

Creating a Reading Culture

Reading is at the heart of school life. We promote a love of reading through:

• Daily story time in every classroom
• Inviting reading areas stocked with high-quality books
• World Book Day celebrations and reading events
• National Poetry Day activities
• Author, poet and storyteller visits
• Scholastic book fairs
• Celebrating reading achievements in assemblies
• Access to the Collins Big Cat eLibrary for EYFS and Key Stage 1 children
• Opportunities for children to share and discuss books with their peers and families

Phonics and Early Reading

We teach early reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a Department for Education validated systematic synthetic phonics programme.

Children in Reception and Year 1 take part in daily phonics lessons where they learn the relationship between sounds and letters and apply their knowledge to reading and spelling. Staff continually assess children's progress and provide additional support through keep-up sessions whenever needed.

Phonics assessments take place every six weeks to ensure that all children are making strong progress and that any gaps in learning are identified quickly.

Reading Practice Sessions

As part of the Little Wandle programme, children in Reception and Year 1 take part in three small-group reading practice sessions each week using fully decodable books matched to their phonics knowledge.

The three sessions focus on:

• Decoding – reading words accurately using phonics
• Prosody – developing fluency and expression
• Comprehension – understanding and discussing what has been

Children read the same book several times during the week to build confidence, fluency and understanding before taking it home. The book is then shared at home so that children can re-read it and celebrate their success.

Our Phonics Journey

Before formal phonics teaching begins, children develop the foundations for reading through speaking, listening, storytelling, nursery rhymes and other language-rich activities.

As they move through Reception and Year 1, children learn the letter-sound correspondences needed to read and spell words confidently. In Year 2, they continue to develop reading fluency and spelling knowledge while applying their phonics skills across the curriculum.

Children who need additional support receive targeted interventions to help them keep up with their peers.

The Phonics Screening Check

In June of Year 1, children take part in the statutory Phonics Screening Check, which assesses their ability to apply phonics knowledge when reading words. Children who do not meet the expected standard receive additional support and retake the check in Year 2.

Supporting Reading at Home

Reading regularly at home has a significant impact on children's progress. We encourage families to read with their child every day, share stories together and celebrate every reading success.

By working in partnership, we can help every child develop the confidence, fluency and enjoyment that will support them throughout their education and beyond.

You can find lots of helpful information about the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised scheme here:

For parents | Letters and Sounds

Here, you will find documents and video guides to show you how children are taught to say their sounds in Early Years and Year 1, as well as information on how Phonics is taught and supporting your child with reading at home. There are also lots of Nursery Rhyme videos to enjoy with your child!