Reading and Phonics 

Intent
At Leedon Lower, we place reading at the heart of our curriculum because we know it unlocks learning across every subject. We want every child to become a fluent, confident and motivated reader who can decode accurately, read with expression and understanding, and enjoy books as a source of pleasure as well as knowledge. Early reading, fluency and vocabulary are our priorities, as we recognise these are the foundations for long-term success.

Implementation
Reading is taught systematically and progressively across the school, beginning with early phonics and building towards fluency, comprehension and a love of literature. Pupils are exposed to high-quality texts and taught to read with accuracy, automaticity and prosody through consistent modelling and practice. Provision is carefully structured through daily phonics, whole class reading, home reading, curated text spines and access to well-stocked libraries, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to develop as a confident and motivated reader.

Phonics and Early Reading

Early reading is prioritised through daily systematic phonics teaching using Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS). Lessons follow a consistent structure, enabling children to practise and secure phoneme–grapheme correspondences, blending and segmenting skills. Decodable books are carefully matched to each child’s stage within the scheme, ensuring they can apply their knowledge successfully and build confidence. Targeted interventions are provided to address gaps quickly, so that all children keep up with the expected pace of the programme.

Whole Class Reading

Whole Class Reading is taught four times a week for around 45 minutes, using high-quality texts to expose pupils to ambitious vocabulary, varied sentence structures and diverse genres. Lessons focus on developing fluency, comprehension and discussion skills, with adults modelling expressive reading and pupils practising echo, choral and repeated reading. Comprehension is taught explicitly, with questioning designed to deepen understanding and broaden children’s appreciation of literature.

Weekly informal Book Clubs provide additional opportunities for pupils to share their reading, discuss books with peers, and develop positive reading habits in a social and supportive context.

Home Reading

Home reading is carefully structured to support fluency and enjoyment. While children are learning phonics through ELS, they take home fully decodable books matched to their stage, alongside a weekly ‘reading for pleasure’ book to share with parents. Once secure, pupils progress through our Further Reader books, taking home books organised to support progression in fluency and comprehension. Reading at home is logged through the Reading Journey app and reading records, and families are encouraged to celebrate and share their child’s progress.

Reading and Poetry Spines

Our Reading and Poetry Spines provide every year group with a carefully curated selection of high-quality texts and poems, ensuring that children encounter an inclusive, broad and diverse range of literature throughout their time at Leedon. These texts are revisited, performed and enjoyed across the year, deepening vocabulary, broadening cultural capital and fostering an enduring love of reading.

School Library and Classroom Libraries

The school library and classroom libraries further enrich children’s reading experiences. The school library is open at lunchtime and two days after school, giving all pupils regular access to a wide range of books. Each class also enjoys a dedicated 30-minute library session every week, where pupils learn how to borrow and return books responsibly and listen to a story read aloud. Classrooms feature carefully curated book corners with texts linked to current learning and children’s interests, ensuring reading is visible and valued across the school day.

Reading Gladiators

Reading Gladiators provides an additional layer of challenge and enrichment for our most enthusiastic readers. Pupils selected for the programme engage with a carefully chosen collection of high-quality, diverse texts that broaden their literary experience and stretch their comprehension. Sessions encourage discussion, debate and critical thinking, as children explore themes, language and authorial intent in greater depth. This not only develops higher-level reading skills but also builds confidence, enjoyment and a sense of belonging to a community of readers.

Impact
As a result of this approach, pupils make strong progress in decoding, fluency and comprehension. They grow in confidence, read with accuracy and expression, and are able to tackle increasingly complex texts across the curriculum. Regular assessment helps us identify and close gaps quickly, so no child is left behind. By the time they leave Leedon Lower, pupils see themselves as readers: independent, motivated and ready for the next stage of their education.

Phonics Teaching Leedon Lower School

At Leedon Lower School we are committed to the delivery of excellence in the teaching of Phonics. We aim to develop each child so that they are able to read with fluency as well as develop a love of reading that will stay with our children all their lives. Being able to read is the most important skill children will learn during their early schooling and has far-reaching implications for lifelong confidence and well-being.

The use of phonics is one of the many skills needed to be able to be a reader and writer. We aim to teach high quality phonics to ensure the children have the best start possible in reading and writing. The learning of phonics is the beginning of children’s body of knowledge, skills and understanding that are an essential part of learning to read. In order to read and understand texts children must learn to recognise/decode the words on the page. Good quality phonics teaching allows the child to be secure in the skills of word recognition and decoding which allows children to read fluently. This will result in children being able to read for pleasure and will allow them to move onto developing higher order reading for meaning skills. These phonic skills need to be taught systematically and involve a variety e.g multi-sensory resources for all learners. We currently use ELS which has an exciting variety of phonics games and resources. This also allows for planning, teaching and progression to be consistent; from Reception, through to the end of Year 4.

Impact 

From implementing the above, we would expect to see the following impact on our children and their learning and the impact will be under constant review.  

• Significant increase in the percentage of children passing the Year 1 Phonics Screening test 

• The whole school have access to age-appropriate texts to help harness a love of reading across the curriculum as well as for pleasure 

• All children will make at least good or outstanding progress in reading each year 

• Children identified as working at greater depth are challenged, continue to make outstanding progress and are introduced to a wider variety of texts 

• All children feel they achieve in reading and that their hard work and progress is recognised and celebrated 

• Clear and appropriate challenge for all, including the disadvantaged and vulnerable, is seen within all lessons 

• 80% of children across the school will read at home with an adult at least four times a week.  

Essential Letters and Sounds information