Reading

How do we prioritise reading at Pimlico Primary?

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children read with an adult one to one at least twice a week during the Soft Start at the beginning of the day.
EYFS have a weekly library slot where they can share a book with a friend, choose a book to take home and the class teacher reads a story. Children can also access books from the dedicated book corner in each class.
Parents are encouraged to support their children at home by reading with their child for 10 minutes each day and to record this in a reading diary. Children are sent home with two leveled books each week.
Children are read a story throughout the day with two dedicated reading slots set in the timetable.
Phonics lessons occur daily with a high emphasis on decoding and blending. This is also reflected in the continuous provision set for children to access independently.

Key Stage 1

KS1 have a weekly 45-minute library slot where they can read a book and choose a book to take home for pleasure. Teachers will also assign two levelled books which the children can take home to read with an adult.
Children can access books from the dedicated book corner in each class.
Parents are encouraged to support their children at home by reading with their child for ten minutes each day and to record this in a reading log.
Children have guided reading lessons three times a week where the children are grouped according to their reading level.
Teachers lead a story time once a day.
Phonics lessons occur daily for 45 minutes with a high emphasis on decoding and blending. Children are split into homogeneous groups in KS1 and the groups are changed every half term to support swift progress. In these groups, the children read levelled RWI books with a partner.
Reading diaries are monitored weekly by class teachers and children are encouraged to read for pleasure.
Reading comprehension strategies and high-level vocabulary are embedded in English lessons using high-quality texts.
In Year 2, each child has a reading book at their tables to encourage reading at any point of the day.

Key stage 2

Reading diaries are monitored daily and children are encouraged to read for pleasure. Children must read for a minimum of 20 minutes each night and record this in their reading diaries. Reading diaries are monitored every term by KS2 English lead and feedback given to class teachers.
Each class has a weekly library slot, when children will either visit the library or choose a new book from the book case in the classroom.
Reading comprehension is embedded in every subject using the Trust’s knowledge-rich curriculum and high-quality texts.
English lessons incorporate high-quality English literature texts with ambitious vocabulary and rich topics. Teachers model reading of class texts to the class, demonstrating how they read and comprehend what they are reading, as well as showing how to read fluently and with enthusiasm and passion

High-level vocabulary from the texts used in all subjects is taught explicitly to expose children to words they may not otherwise hear. Key vocabulary is displayed in KS2 classrooms. Children understand the concept of Tier 1-3 vocabulary and vocabulary “cakes” are displayed in classrooms to support them to continue to categorise words.

Teachers help children to choose reading books to take home from a range of fiction / non-fiction in classroom book corners. Stock is replenished and updated regularly.

Bookcase and reading information displayed in school entrance.

September 2023: each child in KS2 will have a levelled reading book to take home, in addition to their reading for pleasure book.

How do we foster a love of reading for our pupils?

Early Years

Literacy lessons are based around exciting core texts that engage the children. High level vocabulary is introduced and displayed in the classroom to encourage children to use within their writing and spoken language.
A broad range of books, including poems, non fiction and stories form other cultures, are read to the class during whole class sessions. Children are encouraged to make connections to other stories they have read and to relate the stories to their own experiences.
An attractive and exciting book corner is regularly restocked from our school library. During our library session, children can choose a book to take back to the book corner as well as choosing a book to take home to share with their family.

Key Stage 1

English lessons are based around exciting core texts that engage the children. High-level vocabulary is introduced and displayed in the classroom to encourage children to use within their writing.
During story time, teachers can access a wide range of newly stocked books from their book corners, including fiction, non-fiction, poems and stories form other cultures. These stories are carefully selected to ensure they better represent the children in our school.
In English lessons, children are encouraged to make connections to other stories they have read in EYFS.
Reading diaries are monitored by form teachers to check that children are reading widely and often.
The children partake in a “Read aloud” competition which coincides with World Book Day. Children have the chance to rehearse in class and reading with expression is modelled and taught at this point.

Key Stage 2

Hundreds of new books have been added to the school library/classroom book cases, carefully selected to ensure that both authors and characters better represent our school community.
Reading displays ensure that reading has a visibly high profile in classrooms – children have often been involved in the creation of these displays with their favourite books/photographs being displayed.
KS2 “Poetry by Heart” competition in Term 4, with national finals at the Globe Theatre (backed up by Lara’s poetry club and Mr Sarpong’s poetry club).
Reading diaries are monitored by form teachers to check that children are reading widely and often. (Reading diaries are monitored every term by KS2 English lead).
Carnegie Medal Shadowing Group (Terms 5-6), targeting children reluctant to read at home.

Reading for Pleasure / Whole school reading activities and events

"Poetry by heart” competition in Term 4 (see above).
World Book Day in March. Author (Stuart Simmonds) delivered story writing workshops and a whole-school assembly. Full day off timetable for reading-related activities.
“Read aloud” competition Y1-Y6 to coincide with WBD.
Readathon to coincide with WBD.
“Get caught reading” competition: launched with “GCR” photos of teachers, entries encouraged from EYFS-Year 6 and a book token awarded as a prize for the best entry in each year group. Photos of staff reading displayed on the corridor between lunch hall and playground (so all children in the school pass it multiple times a day).
Year 6 prefects read with EYFS/KS1 children before home time.
“Books at bedtime” event for all year groups.
Year 6 librarians tidy and organise school library during P7 every day to ensure it is a welcoming and organised space for children to be in.
Parent workshops on how to support your child to read at home (led by CM).
Silver Stories: 2 Year 6 pupils chosen to read aloud to an elderly person each week. Readers - Silver Stories

Reading interventions

EYFS

The EYFS team meet once a week to discuss progress and planning. Children who are not making expected progress are discussed and an intervention is planned. These usually take place during the Soft Start in the mornings and can included additional phonics and reading sessions.
Weekly interventions start to take place once teachers have identified the children who require them in their Pupil Progress Meetings. These children will receive additional phonics and reading sessions one-to-one or in a smaller group to ensure they do not fall behind.

PHONICS

How does our phonics programme Read Write Inc. build up pupils’ progress in reading?

Read Write Inc. (RWI), is a systematic, synthetic programme.
To make reading and writing easier for the children, RWI starts with a simple code (Set 1 and 2), so the children learn one way to read and write each of the 44 speech sounds. At this stage, they read texts limited to 44 spellings. However, they are able to write any word that they can speak, albeit with the simple code, e.g. day, trayn, mayk. They then go on to read other graphemes representing the 44 speech sounds (Set 3). They will learn to read more complex words, before they can spell them accurately, because of the range of alternatives in the English code.
When learning Set 1, the children learn a new sound every day. For Sets 2 and 3, a new sound is taught on days 1 to 3 and then those sounds are reviewed on days 4 to 5.
Children are assessed every half term and new groups are formed based on the children’s new levels.

How quickly does phonics learning start in Reception?

An initial baseline phonics assessment is carried out in the first week of the academic year and phonics lesson begin shortly after- usually by week 2/3 in line with KS1.

How do we ensure that reading books for children match the correct phonics level?

The Phonics Lead (/experienced phonics teachers) assesses the EYFS/KS1 children every half term. These assessments then match up to the correct RWI book level which the children read in pairs in their phonics groups. The colour of the children’s RWI book level is also linked up to the two levelled books which they then take home from the library.

How does our Phonics Lead support all staff to be expert teachers of reading?

Phonics training is led by the Phonics Lead across the year. This takes place on INSET days and whole school Curriculum Meetings. Support staff are present during these meetings so that they are able to lead either a phonics group or interventions.
To build a team of excellent reading teachers, we use the Assess-Practice-Coach model. The Phonics Lead has three days a week without a phonics group in order to develop the team, to practise together and to give feedback. Once staff are trained, the Phonics Lead is then free to assess the children’s reading and provide weekly coaching for teachers.