At Walkington Primary School, we closely follow the ‘Floppy’s Phonic’ scheme, supplemented by other resources where appropriate. Parents of children in EYFS/KS1 are invited into a year group specific workshop session during the autumn term to explain the scheme and how they can best support their child.
Our results from the phonic screening test at the end of Year 1 have been consistently high, and the school has received letters from subsequent schools’ ministers congratulating it on its sustained performance in this critical area of learning.
Once our children can ‘read’, meaning they can confidently decode written language and with increased fluency and understanding, we then set about mastering the more nuanced higher order skills which make them ‘readers’. The vast majority of our pupils leave Walkington not only working to at least age-related curriculum expectations, but also with both an enduring love of books and the ability to confidently navigate the enormity of the online world.
As a staff team, we are constantly modelling positive reading skills, and believe that it is vitally important that children are read too regularly throughout the school.
EYFS
Children in EYFS begin reading as soon as they start school.
Children partake in a 30-minute phonic session daily as well as an additional 10-minute reading session three times a week. Children’s books are matched with the stage that they are on. Floppy’s Phonics specifically matches the sounds that children are looking at and have previously looked at with the book that they are reading. Children will keep this reading book for 2 weeks as well as a ‘scheme’ book. This book is introduced in school and is then taken home for children to work on with their parents/guardians.
As well as following the reading scheme, children have access to a range of different books and stories read to them on a regular basis. These books are often linked to a particular area of the curriculum and involve traditional tales, cultural stories and books that engage specific interests obtained from the children.
Early on in the year, parents are invited to an ‘Early Reading’ meeting. This allows parents/guardians to gain a better understanding as to what reading looks like in our school. It gives them useful ideas as to how they can read with their child at home.
KS1
In Y1, the focus is on phonetic fluency and ensuring children are developing their understanding of written language. Children continue to follow the ‘Floppy’s Phonics’ scheme. Children take part in phonics sessions four times a week and a focused guided reading session once a week with the teacher. Children are read to on a daily basis by their teacher. This is through story-time or when looking at a specific text in class.
Throughout Y2 children continue to follow the ‘Floppy’s Phonics’ scheme, with a few children starting to become free-readers, selecting their own books that are age and ability appropriate. Less confident readers are identified through ongoing assessment, and these children are read with more frequently on 1:1 basis with a member of our support staff. Crucially, children are read to on a daily basis by their teacher. This is through story-time or when looking at a specific text in class.
KS2
In Y3/4, there is still the opportunity for children to follow our school reading scheme – The Oxford Reading Scheme. Where necessary, children will continue to read with an adult 1:1 mentor every week. Other reading interventions are delivered on a weekly basis by support staff.
By Y5/6, many of our older children are free readers and have the option to choose their own books from home or from our school library. Some pupils will still require support to develop their own individual skills, and are read with regularly throughout the week in a 1:1 setting. Reading interventions are done on a weekly basis with support staff. These interventions focus on our less successful readers and have a focus on the different reading skills that children need to in order to understand what they are reading. In the lead up to SATS, focused reading interventions are delivered to children that are identified through various standardised testing conducted routinely in school.
