“Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.” 

Barack Obama

Intent

At Clifton with Rawcliffe, we aim to provide children with a literacy-rich environment, providing high quality texts and inspiring learning opportunities, which will help them to:

  •  Gain a life-long enjoyment of reading and books.
  • Read accurately, fluently and with understanding;
  • Apply a knowledge of structured synthetic phonics in order to decode unfamiliar words with increasing accuracy and speed;
  • Be able to read with expression, clarity and confidence;
  • Develop a good linguistic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar;
  • Read and respond to a wide range of different types of texts, genres and authors;
  • Develop a deeper level of emotional intelligence and empathy;
  • Read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.
  • learn to read so that they can read to learn and access the wider curriculum and apply these skills to the wider world.

RESPECT

Children learn to respect people from different cultures and with contrasting life experiences through literature.

RESILIENCE

Children are encouraged to read challenging texts to develop their confidence, stamina and a positive attitude towards reading.

INDEPENDENCE

Children learn to read independently so that they can read and learn about the wider world.

RESPONSIBILITY

Children will gain a personal committment in becoming confident and fluent readers, and will engage with reading beyond school in order to support future learning and development.

FRIENDSHIP

Through reading a wide range of texts, children learn about key values and how to be a good friend in order to help them become reliable members of society.

Implementation

Through the delivery of our reading curriculum: 

  • We ensure a consistent and robust teaching and learning of early reading and phonics in FS and KS1, so that pupils are able to read with increased speed and fluency and access the wider curriculum. 
  • We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds scheme.  Children are provided with books that match and support their phonics development and ability.  
  • All pupils have opportunities to develop their reading skills daily, and are encouraged to read at least 3 times at home with an adult or independently.
  • We use the Accelerated Reader programme to enable children to read at an appropriate level and supports their understanding of the books they have read.
  • We provide a text rich environment, in order to encourage a positive culture of reading throughout all classes and promote reading for pleasure.  
  • Children enjoy listening to challenging texts through storytime.   
  • Through high quality teaching and learning experiences we will develop children’s skills and competence so that they are fluent readers who can read to learn.  
  • Whole class shared reading is used in year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to enable all children to share high quality texts and develop skills in reading comprehension and fluency.  
  • Reading skills are continually developed through the wider curriculum.

Impact

  • All pupils will be able to read with accuracy, speed, confidence, fluency and understanding, ready to access the secondary school curriculum.  
  • All pupils will make at least good progress from their starting points. 
  • Pupils will develop a life-long enjoyment of reading and books.