Feniscowles Primary School has created a curriculum intent statement.  This intent has been written to provide an overarching context for our school curriculum to allow ‘A Feniscowles Child’ to ‘Live Life in its fullest’.  This document can be found on our website and should be read in conjunction with our subject specific intent statements.

How does reading contribute towards our curriculum intent?

The English curriculum at Feniscowles Primary School has been shaped by the principles outlined in the National Curriculum and we aim to provide a high-quality English education which develops children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes and audiences. As a school, we are continually ‘Striving for Excellence’ and therefore we see the National Curriculum as forming only the starting point in the pursuit of our goal of allowing the 'Feniscowles Child to live life to its fullest' We have high aspirations for all our children and it is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.

With our learners’ starting points and the rise of digital media in mind, we recognise that speaking, listening and language acquisition is paramount to ensuring that our children access the whole curriculum effectively. We strive to be good role models as we interact with pupils and value quality dialogue so that our children have the oracy skills to communicate with confidence and respond appropriately to different audiences, in both formal and informal contexts.

We recognise that reading is an essential life skill and will enable children to embrace the opportunities that life brings. We strive to teach our learners the key skills to be able to read, as well as a passion and love for books and reading. Through our commitment to the delivery of excellence in the teaching of systematic, synthetic phonics, we ensure that pupils gain the knowledge and skills to become confident, fluent readers with the ability to use a range of reading strategies and skills. Please refer to our ‘Phonics Policy’ which can be found on our website for further detail relating specifically to the systematic teaching of Phonics.

At Feniscowles Primary School, the journey of literature begins as soon as our learners enter our school. Our EYFS curriculum is text-rich and forms the beginning of our reading pathway. Across each year group, our texts are carefully selected to ensure that the values that define our culture and ethos, shaping the Feniscowles Child are reflected. The texts are regularly reviewed to ensure that our children are exposed to the best of new literature.

Please refer to our ‘Literature Spine’ which can be found via the links below and has been created to provide further detail on how our texts contribute to developing the ‘Feniscowles Child’.

We prioritise reading for both enjoyment and purpose in all year groups. Children are enabled to express themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as of non-fiction and media texts. The use of quality texts across the wider curriculum further supports children’s understanding of questioning, language and builds up a purposeful and meaningful vocabulary. This helps to develop children’s understanding of concepts and knowledge in other areas of learning. In addition to this, we feel passionately that our children should be exposed to literary greats simply because they are influential in terms of literature, particularly as the cultural capital of our learners varies. Overall, we aim to develop a culture of reading in which children become readers rather than children who read.

In addition, we recognise the value of memorable experiences in nurturing love and knowledge with regards to the English language. As such, activities including Library visits are an integral part of our school programme. In summary, we aspire to deliver a rich and varied curriculum that enables pupils to develop into confident, literate and articulate members of the community who have a positive impact on the world around them.

How Do We Teach Reading at Feniscowles Primary School?

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, and we carefully develop children’s reading skills as they progress through school. In EYFS and Key Stage 1, a key vehicle for teaching reading is our Little Wandle reading practice sessions. Children read fully decodable books that are carefully matched to their secure phonics knowledge, giving them the opportunity to apply the sounds they have learned. Sessions take place three times a week with a trained adult and follow the Little Wandle ‘Three Reads’ approach: decoding, prosody (reading with fluency, expression and phrasing) and comprehension. This repeated practice helps children develop accuracy, fluency, confidence and understanding. In Key Stage One, children who may require additional support to learn to read are able to access additional phonics and early reading intervention - need dependent. 

As children move towards Key Stage 2, we gradually shift the emphasis from learning to decode towards developing fluent, confident and thoughtful readers. Towards the summer term in Year 2, we begin using Ready Steady Read Together to support this transition and provide continuity into Year 3 and beyond. Ready Steady Read Together is a structured, whole-class shared reading approach which uses high-quality, diverse texts to explicitly develop vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and reading strategies. Children encounter fiction, non-fiction and poetry and are taught to retrieve, infer, make connections, discuss vocabulary and respond thoughtfully to what they read. For children who require additional support in Key Stage 2, we also provide targeted reading intervention through the Premier League Reading Stars programme, a 10-week intervention designed to engage reluctant readers through football-themed activities, reading and incentives. Additionally, we also offer the Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up Programme for children who continue to need support with phonics and early reading. 

Supporting Documentation