O​ur Reading Curriculum

O​ur Curriculum Intent

At Grappenhall Heys, we understand that being a confident reader is not just about decoding words, but also about comprehending, analysing, and reflecting upon a text. Our approach empowers children to take ownership of their reading journey, making them motivated and engaged in developing their decoding and comprehension skills and knowledge.

 

Our curriculum enables children to become confident, proficient readers. We place a strong emphasis on high-quality decoding and blending sessions to ensure that our children acquire the essential skills required to read fluently. Through carefully structured, high-quality lessons, we equip our students with the ability to decode unfamiliar words and effortlessly blend sounds, enabling them to tackle a wide range of texts with confidence. Books are deliberately selected to reflect the children’s current phonics knowledge, enabling them to practise and build upon prior knowledge and skill,s ultimately fostering a strong foundation in reading. By immersing our youngest learners in a rich literary environment, we lay the foundation for a lifelong journey of exploration and discovery through books.

 

We nurture our children's prosody (expression and intonation when reading aloud), enabling them to read with expression, fluency, and understanding. Our comprehension lessons focus on the seven strands of reading: Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, Sequencing and Summarising, VIPERS. This comprehensive approach ensures that reading becomes a meaningful and enriching experience and that children love books. Our reading curriculum is designed to provide a progressive and comprehensive approach to literacy development from Early Years (EYFS) to Year 6. Throughout all stages, it emphasises a love for reading and encourages children to become independent and critical readers. We select a variety of texts, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and digital media, to ensure a well-rounded reading experience.

T​he Purpose Of Our English Curriculum

We develop children who are …

1. Fluent, habitual readers who read for both pleasure and knowledge acquisition;

2. Able to acquire and build a rich and varied vocabulary and utilise their language skills to frame conversations and discussions across a range of purposes and audiences;

3. Authors in different contexts across different purposes and who make conscious decisions to weave in grammatical devices;

4. Constantly developing their understanding of phonics to support reading and underpin spelling and understand relationships between meaning and spelling;

5​. Able to refine their conscious control and choice of language, noting and experimenting with its use in reading, writing and speaking.

O​ur Curriculum Offer - What We Teach In Reading

At Grappenhall Heys Primary our reading curriculum is designed to provide a progressive and comprehensive approach to literacy development from Early Years (EYFS) to Year 6. Throughout all stages, our reading curriculum emphasises a love for reading and encourages children to become independent and critical readers.

 

Class novels are an integral part of our school's reading curriculum, fostering a shared reading experience. We have selected a range of diverse texts and novels that engage, challenge, and inspire. They align with the learning objectives and link with other areas of the curriculum, creating meaningful connections and reinforcing key concepts.

 

EYFS

In Early Years, we introduce children to the sounds of the English language through activities like rhyming, alliteration, and sound discrimination. This lays the foundation for phonics instruction. Our phonics program, 'Little Wandle,' is central to the EYFS curriculum. It teaches children the relationship between letters and sounds, helping them decode words and begin blending sounds to read.

We support vocabulary development and oral communication skills through storytelling, debate, discussions, and role-playing. This enhances the children’s comprehension and speaking abilities. Teachers read stories to students every day, fostering a love for books and exposing them to a wide range of texts. Click here to learn more about phonics at Grappenhall Heys.

Key ​Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

In KS1, we continue to reinforce phonics skills, ensuring children can confidently decode and blend words and build upon their fluency. We continue guided reading sessions, where small groups of children read and discuss texts at their level. This promotes comprehension and supports individual needs. Children also learn high-frequency words by sight to enhance fluency.

In KS2, we adopt a whole class reading approach that continues to focus on fluency in reading as well as expression and prosody, to enhance comprehension and enjoyment. Children expand their vocabulary through reading a variety of texts and engage in discussions and debate. We introduce more advanced comprehension strategies such as summarisation, identifying themes, and making connections between texts.

 

C​lick here to access the English national curriculum

Click here to see our Reading long-term plan

 

Click here to see a Year 6 example of our Reading medium-term plan with end points

Click here to look at our Reading knowledge and vocabulary progression map

C​lick here to see our reading spine - book and text progression from EYFS to Year 6

 

O​ur Curriculum Offer - How We Teach Reading

 

In Early Years, we introduce children to the sounds of the English language through activities such as rhyming, alliteration, and sound discrimination. Our phonics program, 'Little Wandle,' is central to the EYFS curriculum. It teaches children the relationship between letters and sounds, helping them decode words and begin blending sounds to read.

 

Children in EYFS and KS1 embark on their reading adventure with three dedicated adult-led reading lessons each week. These sessions are crafted to enhance their fluency, prosody, and comprehension skills. We believe that a strong foundation in reading is the key to unlocking a world of knowledge and imagination. Children take home their reading book to practise at home which matches their phonics knowledge. This helps to build upon fluency and pace as well as developing their love for reading. The expectation is that all children in the school will read at home to an adult at least four times per week.
In KS1, we continue to further reinforce phonics skills, ensuring children can confidently decode and blend words and build upon their fluency. We have 3 guided reading sessions each week, where small groups of children read and discuss texts at their level. We support vocabulary development and oral communication skills through storytelling, debate, discussions, and role-playing.

 

In KS2 we adopt a whole-class reading approach that continues to focus on fluency in reading as well as expression and prosody, to enhance comprehension and enjoyment. Children expand their vocabulary through reading a variety of texts and engaging in discussions and debates. We introduce more advanced comprehension strategies such as summarisation, identifying themes, and making connections between texts. We deepen the children’s comprehension skills through analysing texts for author's purpose, tone, and bias. Our children become critical thinkers by discussing multiple perspectives, evaluating sources, and forming well-reasoned opinions based on evidence. They become efficient at analysing non-fiction texts, including articles, persuasive writing, and poetry. They are exposed to a wide range of genres and are given opportunities to explore them independently, fostering a love for reading that goes beyond the curriculum. We deepen our children’s comprehension skills through analysing texts for author's purpose, tone, and bias. Our children become critical thinkers by discussing multiple perspectives, evaluating sources, and forming well-reasoned opinions based on evidence. They become adept at analysing non-fiction texts, including articles, persuasive writing, songs and poetry and are exposed to a wide range of genres, with opportunities to explore them independently. We foster, promote and celebrate a love for reading that goes beyond the curriculum.
Across the whole school, teachers read to children every day, fostering a love for books. In KS2, at Grappenhall Heys, we use ‘Accelerated Reader’ to help to monitor children’s independent reading practice, track progress and assess comprehension. Each child picks a book at their own level and reads it at their own pace. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them at the correct level of challenge.

​Ambition for All

W​e deliver a curriculum that is accessible to all children. Click here for further information on how we support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Our reading curriculum is accessible for all pupils, regardless of their starting points. It inspires children to think big, broaden their understanding of the world and encounter global diversity. Regular assessments and interventions are in place to support each child’s individual progress, ensuring that they are well-prepared for their future learning challenges and goals.

We work hard to ensure that all children can access our reading curriculum and teachers adapt their planning and teaching methods to ensure that all children receive the support they need to make progress and reach their full potential. Structured support, such as scaffolding and modelling, is provided to help the children as they learn new concepts and to break tasks down into smaller steps, providing prompts or cues. Pre-learning activities also prepare children for upcoming lessons or topics, this can include introducing key vocabulary, texts, concepts, or background knowledge to build a foundation for learning.

Within lessons, collaborative learning allows children to work together, learn from their peers, and develop important social and teamwork skills. In addition, classroom walls are used to display working walls, key information, visuals, and reference materials related to the current topics. Technology and digital resources, including computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards, are integrated into teaching and learning to support pupils with their writing.

Accommodations, such as providing coloured paper for children with visual processing difficulties, ensure that learning materials are accessible to all. When language barriers exist, the use of translators or interpreters may be used to help children access content and participate in the learning process effectively. We use catch-up and keep-up sessions to support learning. By tailoring and adapting our teaching and support methods, we create an inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity and fosters success for all children.

W​hat Makes Reading Special at Grappenhall Heys?

Our dedication and commitment to nurturing a lifelong love for reading in every child makes our school special. Our school is home to a fabulous library, situated right at the heart of our learning environment. Here, we create an atmosphere that promotes a whole-school passion for reading, allowing our students to flourish into confident and fluent readers.

Our children are immersed in a daily diet of reading that encompasses a rich variety of literary forms. Whether it's the magic of storytime, the wonder of information books, the rhythm of poetry, or the excitement of fiction. Each of our classrooms has its very own bespoke book corner with up-to-date and relevant literature. These corners are inviting spaces where children can escape into the world of books and explore their imagination.

We recognise the significance of a rich vocabulary in empowering young learners. Our dedicated focus on developing children's vocabulary ensures they have the tools to comprehend and communicate effectively. Every child is a unique individual, and we cater to their individual needs. In addition to whole class reading sessions, we provide tailored enhancement opportunities for children who require additional support to reach age-related expectations. This ensures that no child is left behind, and all are exposed to the same rich vocabulary and themes as their peers.

We create an environment where every child can discover the magic of reading, unlocking their potential.

Enrichment

We regularly invite authors and poets into our school, either in person or virtually, to share their experiences, discuss their books, and inspire children with their stories.

Across the year, we hold reading challenges, where children set personal reading goals and track their progress. The children are given regular weekly rewards for meeting these goals with certificates, book prizes, or recognition. As part of our buddy system, we pair older children with younger ones. This helps younger children to improve their reading skills but also fosters mentorship and friendship.

We offer events such as book drives, where children collect and donate books to their peers and the local community. We have regular reading-themed assemblies to celebrate reading achievements, where children can share book recommendations.

Our Pupil Voice

A​utumn 2024

C​hildren answered a variety of questions using a padlet about how they choose their books and if they enjoyed reading. Here are some of their answers....

 

 

 

'''Reading is limitless and the story takes me into a new world." Year 4 child
"Reading creates fun stories that you can imagine in your head.'' Year 3 child
"We have an amazing library with some fantastic books- we have all they books we could ever want." Year 4 child

Click here to learn about our English Pupil Voice

Reading record of visit from a serving Ofsted inspector, September 2024

The teaching assistant seen supporting a struggling reader provided exceptionally high-quality support which had a very positive impact on the pupil’s reading.
Lesson visits evidence strong subject knowledge, teachers pronounce sounds correctly and rapidly address misconceptions. Teaching assistants provide strong support in phonics lessons, particularly in supporting assessment to help identify those who might be falling behind.
The school makes sure that there is a strong focus on developing fluency in reading for younger pupils before aspects of comprehension are introduced.
Pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts which supports their love of reading. Leaders have thought carefully about the texts that are used in school to ensure meaningful links to other subjects.
 Leaders have made some changes to the writing curriculum to place a stronger focus on ensuring that younger pupils acquire the most important fundamental knowledge and skills e.g. handwriting and basic punctuation.

O​ur Curriculum Video

H​ow Can You Find Out More?

Your local library can be an excellent resource. Librarians can recommend age-appropriate books and may offer reading programs or events for children.

Online Educational Websites:

Oxford Owl: This website offers free resources, e-books, and advice for parents to support children's reading development(https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/)

The Book Trust website provides book recommendations, reading tips, and activities for children of all ages (https://www.booktrust.org.uk/)

Scholastic Parents: Scholastic's website has a section for parents with articles, book lists, and reading strategies. (https://www.scholastic.com/parents/)

Explore educational apps designed to support reading skills. Apps like Epic! (https://www.getepic.com/) and Reading Rockets (https://www.readingrockets.org/) offer reading resources and activities.

Schedule a meeting with your child's teacher to discuss their reading progress and ask for specific recommendations tailored to your child's needs. Remember that every child is unique, so it's important to adapt reading support strategies to your child's specific needs and interests. Reading should be an enjoyable and enriching experience for both you and your child.


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