Reading Curriculum

Intent

We understand the importance of Reading and how it is an essential life skill that enables pupils to communicate effectively, acquire vocabulary and explore key themes.  Our bespoke Reading curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to become life-long readers, and therefore effective communicators through exploring a range of high quality, vocabulary rich texts.  Texts are selected based on their quality and the key themes that they promote; from classic stories from other cultures to those that break barriers and challenge stereotypes.  

We believe reading and writing should be intertwined and mutually beneficial by creating a well-developed, positive culture which is threaded purposefully, where possible, through other subjects.  Using a range of picture books, reading is successfully threaded through various curriculum areas including PSHE, Geography, History, Art, and DT promoting the importance of reading within different contexts.

The provision we offer is designed to provide our pupils with as many positive reading experiences as possible, ensuring that reading is accessible for all and that our pupils are represented in the books that they read.

Implementation

Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of Reading involves the following:

• Progressive year group overviews including specific texts.
• ‘Reading Skill’ content coverage provided for KS1, LKS2, UKS2.
• Daily ‘Story Time’ focusing on year group texts.
• Daily ‘Poetry and Rhyme Time’ (EYFS & KS1).
• Weekly ‘Reading Skill’ lessons to develop comprehension using VIPERSS (Y1 – Y6).
• Weekly ‘Book Talk’ lessons to develop fluency and discuss key texts (Y3 – Y6).

• Weekly Library slot where children can select books based on their preferences and interests.

• Annual whole school World Book Day celebration.
• Poet in Residence, James Carter, assemblies and workshops.
• Author and poet visits to inspire and provide positive reading role models.
• ‘Parent and Children Reading’ sessions to support parents and carers with enabling their children to read at home.
• Termly ‘Books for Breakfast’ event to increase positive family reading experiences.
• Reading records and reading challenge used to increase and promote engagement when reading at home.
• Regularly CPD Insets provided to staff to ensure high quality subject knowledge.

Impact

Our Reading curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression year on year. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods: 

• Monitoring of ‘Book Talk’ and ‘Reading Skill’ displays
• Monitoring of workbooks
• Pupil voice
• Learning walks
• Staff surveys
• Monitoring of reading records and reading challenge