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Phonics and Reading

The exciting things I will learn in reading at St Joseph’s are:

At St. Joseph’s the teaching of reading is prioritised to allow pupils to access the full curriculum offer. A rigorous and sequential approach to the reading curriculum develops pupils’ fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading.  Reading is taught initially via high quality and pacy daily phonics sessions following the ‘Read, Write, Inc’ scheme. There is a sharp focus on ensuring that younger children gain phonics knowledge and language comprehension necessary to read, and the skills to communicate, gives them the foundations for future learning. Once children have completed their phonics program they will engage in a rich reading curriculum using the Nelson Comprehension scheme with sequential lessons that build upon prior learning.

The exciting things that take place in Phonics and reading are:

World book Day 

Harry Potter Day

Roald Dahl Day

Author visits 

Weekly visits to the Library 

Book swaps from the Lancashire Library Service 

Why do I need to know this? 

Intent

At our small Catholic school, the teaching of reading is rooted in our mission to nurture the whole child—academically, spiritually, and culturally. We aim to foster a life-long love of reading by equipping every child with the skills and confidence to decode fluently, comprehend deeply, and respond thoughtfully. Grounded in our Catholic values, our reading curriculum supports spiritual and moral development while exposing pupils to a rich and diverse range of literature that broadens their understanding of the world and deepens their cultural awareness.

Implementation

• Early Reading & Phonics:
  We follow the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme with fidelity, ensuring a consistent, rigorous, and systematic approach to early reading. Children are assessed regularly and grouped by ability to ensure targeted teaching that enables rapid progress in decoding, blending, and fluency.

• Transition to Comprehension:
  Once children have completed the RWI programme, they move on to the Nelson Comprehension scheme. This structured approach develops key comprehension skills, including retrieval, inference, vocabulary understanding, and critical response to texts.

• Rich and Varied Texts:
  Alongside structured schemes, pupils engage with a wide range of high-quality literature across the curriculum—from classic texts and contemporary fiction to poetry, scripture, and non-fiction. These are carefully selected to reflect diversity, promote empathy, and encourage deeper thinking.

• Reading for Pleasure:
  Daily story time, well-stocked book corners, and regular library visits support a culture of reading for enjoyment. Whole-school reading initiatives and author focus weeks further inspire enthusiasm for books.

• Catholic Ethos & Cross-Curricular Links:
  Texts chosen often support Catholic Social Teaching themes and are used across subjects to deepen understanding of moral and ethical issues, enhance RE learning, and reflect the dignity of every person.

Impact

• Children leave Key Stage 1 as confident, fluent readers, well-prepared for the more complex demands of Key Stage 2.

• Pupils demonstrate strong comprehension skills, with the ability to discuss and analyse texts thoughtfully, making links to their own experiences, other texts, and the wider world.

• Children develop a love of reading and regularly choose to read for pleasure both in and outside of school.

• Exposure to diverse texts increases pupils’ cultural awareness, empathy, and appreciation for different perspectives, aligning with our mission to develop responsible, thoughtful citizens guided by Gospel values.

• Reading outcomes are strong across the school, and any gaps are swiftly identified and addressed through targeted support and regular assessment.

Policies related to this subject: