Intent

 

At New Park, we value reading as a key life skill and we are dedicated to enabling our children to become life-long readers.  We believe reading is key to academic success and fundamental in ensuring that children can access all areas of the curriculum.  

 

By the time children leave New Park, we strive to ensure that they are competent and resilient readers who can read fluently and have a secure understanding of what they have read. We want our children to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information and for them be able to recommend books to their peers. 

 

We ensure that our children have a wealth of opportunities to develop a thirst for reading a range of genres including poetry and that they participate in discussions about books including evaluating an author’s use of language and the impact this can have on the reader. It is our intention that through reading and discussing a wide-range of high-quality literature, our children are exposed to new language and that they absorb information on how to structure sentences and how to use words and other language features effectively in their writing and when speaking. 

 

 

Implementation

 

At New Park, reading is taught daily. Children read in as many situations as possible, not just in reading lessons. Reading takes place in all lessons, using books and electronic devices. All children read and are read to so that they develop a love of reading. Books are selected by the teachers and English coordinator to ensure they are high quality and, where possible, link to other curriculum areas. 

 

Reading Scheme

At New Park, we use a variety of schemes and these are all organised into stages. Children have the opportunity to read: Oxford Reading Tree, Project X, Graphic Novels and Classic Novels. All books are organised to ensure continuity and progression. Children do not have to read all the books to move to the next level. Children are assessed using the Benchmark scheme annually, or when needed, to ensure they are reading within the required band.

 

Children complete NFER and SATs tests termly. This data is then moderated by the Academy’s moderation team. 

 

Phonics

We follow the Department of Education approved phonics programme ‘Letters and Sounds’. This allows our phonics teaching and learning to be progressive from Nursery up to Year 2 as well as allowing children’s listening and speaking skills to develop. 

In Nursery, Phonics is taught through whole class teaching input and small group activities and we base our daily routines around song and rhyme that supports sound awareness. 

In Reception, Year 1 and 2, the teaching of phonics is organised into groups depending on children’s prior Phonics knowledge, and looking at where individual’s need challenge or support. 

Where extra intervention is necessary, this is provided for children throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

We are passionate about ensuring all our children become confident and enthusiastic readers and writers. We believe that phonics provides the foundations of fluent reading and writing that essentially supports all learning in school.

 

Class Texts

All children will have classic and modern texts read to them in all year groups. This may include: fairy tales/rhymes, traditional tales and classic novels as well as new publications. 

 

Individual Reading

All children read to an adult during the week. 

Children in EYFS are read to daily and sing rhymes to encourage vocabulary building.

Children in Reception and Year 1 are listened to at least three times weekly.

Children in Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are listened to twice weekly.

Should any child require additional reading, a teacher, or a teaching assistant, would provide this.

 

Home Reading

All children are expected to read at home. School encourages children to read their ‘school’ reading book but also allows children to read a book of their choosing. This is recorded in the child’s reading record. 

Children in Reception and Year 1 take home two reading books: their school reading book and a phonetically plausible book.

Children in Year 2, who did not pass their Phonics Screening Check, also take home a phonetically plausible book in addition to their school reading book.

 

Whole-Class Reading

All children from Reception upwards take part in daily whole-class reading. These sessions are planned around a high-quality text. These lessons teach a range of skills ensuring the National Curriculum reading domains are delivered.

 

Reading Areas

All classrooms have a designated reading area with age-appropriate reading for pleasure books. All classrooms have access to subject specific books that further develop their curriculum knowledge.

 

Library

Each class has a weekly visit to our stimulating school library where children have the opportunity to relax with their friends and thoroughly enjoy reading a book of their choice. This special time is a reading celebration that all children enjoy and look forward to. 

 

Reading Buddies

Fluent and confident readers from Year 5 children read weekly with selected children in Years 1 and 2. This is a chance for our older children to share their love of reading with our younger children and is also a wonderful opportunity for children to be listened to read more frequently. 

 

 

Impact

 

Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. This way, children can focus on developing their fluency and comprehension as they move through the school. Attainment in reading is measured using the statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage One and Two. These results are measured against the reading attainment of children nationally. Attainment in Phonics is measured by the Phonics Screening Check at the end of Year 1. 

 

At New Park, we firmly believe that reading is essential to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments. We strive to provide all children the opportunity to enter the magical worlds that books open up to them. We strongly promote reading for pleasure as part of our reading curriculum. Children are encouraged to develop their own love of genres and authors and to review their books objectively. This enhances a deep love of literature across a range of genres, cultures and styles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Learning

 

Please click on the link below if you would like to find out about any adult courses available, that may help you support your child's learning at home.