What does phonics and early reading look like at Whitesheet?

All children are taught from their individual starting point to ensure that they reach age related expectations.

• Reading, including the teaching of systematic phonics is taught from the very beginning of Reception.

• Phonics is taught every day following the Read Write Inc programme.

• Regular on- going assessment tracks pupil progress in phonics to ensure early identification of children needing additional support.

• Teachers and support staff have regular, highly quality training linked to phonics and early reading.

• The Read Write Inc reading scheme supports the teaching and application of phonics. There is clear progression through each phase and the children are given the opportunity to rehearse reading and retell stories that match the grapheme-phoneme correspondence. Their home reading books match their phonics level.

• The phonics programme at Whitesheet matches or exceeds national expectations of the Early Learning Goals. The school has clear expectations of pupils phonics progress from EYFS to Year 2 using the Read Write Inc tracking document.

• As children's fluency in reading develops we focus on children's understanding of what they have read and their responses to the text. 

• Children are taught reading skills in class through ambitious, high quality texts chosen from the Pie Corbett reading spine, which are often linked to our curriculum topics. 

• Reading has a high-profile in all of our classrooms. Pupils vocabulary is developed through sharing of stories, poems, rhymes and non-fictions texts. In EYFS pupils are encouraged to use props to re-tell and create their own stories.

• Parents are supported through workshops including phonics and reading.

• EYFS is part of the whole school approach where they share ambitious texts linked to the Pie Corbett Reading Spine.

• Book Buddies and Phonics Buddies give pupils opportunities to be mentored by older children in the school daily.