Reading

Early readers 

Early Readers are pupils at the early stages of their journey in learning to read. Our Early Readers use phonic decoding as their reading approach, identifying the sounds in words and blending them to read the words. We track children’s progress in reading carefully and children of any age can be identified as Early Readers.  

In EYFS, the children begin their early reading journey by following the Read Write Inc phonics programme.  For older children (KS1-4) who are ‘early readers’, they access an age-appropriate phonics programme that builds on the Read Write Inc programme, called Fresh Start. 

For more information about the Read Write Inc and Fresh Start phonics programmes see right. 

Our Early Readers read books carefully matched to their phonics knowledge and are supported to rapidly gain the phonics knowledge and skills to become fluent independent readers. Pupils in Primary read every morning for 25 minutes, focusing on early reading, phonics and Fresh Start. Each pupil receives a bespoke intervention dependant on their reading ability. 

Developing readers 

As pupils progress through the school and develop their reading fluency, they will encounter various reading strategies that are tailored and implemented to each individual need.  

One of the strategies we use, which can be supported at home, is VIPERS.  For more information about this, click left. 

All children have their reading assessed and tracked on a termly basis.  We use New Group Reading Test (NGRT) which provides a reading age and recommends specific interventions to enable further progress to be achieved. 

Confident readers 

We teach our pupils how to listen and respond to a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts. In the secondary school, pupils read for pleasure in form time every Monday and Wednesday, reading individual books linked to their reading ability as well as class set texts that they enjoy as a whole form group. During these two periods of reading intervention, some pupils engage in Fresh Start or Phonics with support from key staff. Pupils will also receive extra reading intervention sessions throughout the week from their form team. 

Reading for pleasure is supported by our Accelerated Reader programme.  More information about this can be found to the right. 

Our school library is open during social times to encourage reading for pleasure and supported by a member of the English department.  We place a significant emphasis on the selection of diverse and varied texts in our library, which have been personally chosen by our pupils. This process ensures that the reading materials are not only relevant but also representative of a broad spectrum of cultures, experiences, and perspectives. By allowing pupils to have a say in what texts are purchased, we aim to create a more inclusive and engaging reading environment.  

Our commitment to developing reading skills throughout the school is unwavering, and we continually strive to create an enriched environment that inspires our pupils. to engage with and enjoy reading. 

Promoting Positive Reading Experiences 

‘Reading for pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s success.’ (OECD 2002) 

‘The will influences the skill and vice versa.’ (OECD 2010) 

Quality First Teaching 

• Primary pupils will access daily story time as a class to enjoy shared reading together.  

• Following a thematic curriculum, a variety of high-quality texts are available throughout a topic/unit for pupils to access both independently, and as teaching resources across the curriculum.  

• Teachers in primary and secondary plan for opportunities to expose pupils to a variety of different text types and genres. 

• All primary classrooms will have a designated reading area where pupils are able to browse, select and read books of their interest.  

• Form classrooms in secondary will have books readily available for P4L sessions, EHCP time and when pupils need to regulate via reading. 

• Pupils across the school have opportunities to engage with a wide range of Reading for Pleasure events (author visits and workshops, national events and reading for pleasure days). 

Outside The Classroom  

• When beginning at Keystone, primary pupils will be given a reading record which will be sent home for parents/carers to record any reading their child has done at home. Teachers will regularly check these reading records.  

• Home Connect is available for parents/carers to use with their children to engage with Accelerated Reader. 

• School will provide both a decodable text (where appropriate – in line with their current phonics/reading ability) and a ‘sharing book’ – texts which pupils can share with family/carers at home to promote a love for reading.  

• Pupils in lower Key Stage 3 will continue the primary model of reading records and taking books home. 

All our chosen programmes and approaches to teaching reading across primary are linked to the National Curriculum.  

We have used The Reading Framework to also design and support our reading programmes of study.