Intent

At East Hunsbury Primary School (EHPS), we intend for our children to leave Year 6 as fluent, confident readers who understand the importance of reading on their immediate and future lives. We intend for them to leave having read a rich variety of fiction and non-fiction literature ranging from: graphic novels, classic texts and magazines to comics, poems and modern stories. We intend for them to develop such an enjoyment for reading that they leave as avid readers choosing to read for pleasure and to read to learn.

We intend for our children to leave EHPS having participated in an array of quality book-related experiences and have acquired the linguistic skills in order to be able to discuss, evaluate, reflect, compare, critique and engage in meaningful conversations about a wide range of literature in order to form an opinion.

Our intention is that all children experience a progressive, ambitious and challenging curriculum built upon a foundation of diverse and carefully selected literature – a curriculum which develops children’s word recognition and language comprehension alongside developing a genuine desire to read for pleasure. It is our intent that every child at EHPS will connect with a book and has the opportunity to see themselves represented through literature inline.

As Emily Style states in her article Curriculum as Window and Mirror: All students deserve a curriculum which mirrors their own experience back to them, upon occasion — thus validating it in the public world of the school. But curriculum must also insist upon the fresh air of windows into the experience of others — who also need and deserve the public validation of the school curriculum.  We believe the world of literature can provide both a window and a mirror.

It is our intention that EHPS is a school which is built on books because we place reading at the heart of everything. We intend that reading will not only strengthen the core knowledge rooted with our writing and wider curriculums but will also play an important role in educating the whole child emotionally, culturally, socially and spiritually. 

Aims – every child a reader with agency

The aim of our reading curriculum is to promote and attain the highest standards of reading whilst equipping the children with a love of literature which they carry with them for life. We aim for our children to become readers with agency and foster a life-long appreciation for reading.

Our aims are built around NPAT’s Key components (see below).

We aim for the children to be able to:

• Read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• Choose to read widely and often for both pleasure and information
• Understand what they read by drawing on a range of strategies including grammar, illustrative and knowledge of linguistic conventions
• Increase their vocabulary
• Have access to a variety of the finest literature which challenges and engages
• Understand the role of reading and literature on their lives and wider society
• Engage in discussion in order to learn, deepen their thinking and form opinions
• Use their reading to influence their writing.

Implementation

Reading starts on day 1 when they join East Hunsbury Primary School.

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we have designed our reading curriculum around the two core strands as outlined in the Scarborough Reading Rope: Word Recognition and Language Comprehension in order to teach our children to read. We have also considered carefully the culture in which reading sits in order to ensure maximum impact which is reflected in our reading Venn diagram.

Word Recognition and Early Reading

To develop children’s ability to recognisise and decode words, we use the linguistic phonics programme Sounds-Write as our implementation strategy. The Sounds-Write approach is based on the sounds in speech and moves to the written word. It focusses on what the learner needs to understand about the English alphabet code in order to become a fluent reader (and speller) of English e.g. the

• conceptual knowledge they require
• alphabet code knowledge they require
• skills they need to employ the conceptual and alphabet code knowledge.

This approach also marries with our writing strategy by promoting encoding at the same time as decoding.

Children in EYFS and KS1 receive a daily 30-minute phonics session and a minimum of 2 small group reading sessions using a decodable text. The lowest 20% are monitored and carefully assessed with timely and appropriate interventions being put in place such as pre-teaching. They are also heard read more frequently.

Every child has access to a phonetically decodable book which is suitable for their reading attainment as well as a reading for pleasure book. These books are routinely monitored by the class teacher.

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we have designed our reading curriculum around the two core strands as outlined in the Scarborough Reading Rope: Word Recognition and Language Comprehension in order to teach our children to read. We have also considered carefully the culture in which reading sits in order to ensure maximum impact which is reflected in our reading Venn diagram.

Word Recognition and Early Reading

To develop children’s ability to recognisise and decode words, we use the linguistic phonics programme Sounds-Write as our implementation strategy. The Sounds-Write approach is based on the sounds in speech and moves to the written word. It focusses on what the learner needs to understand about the English alphabet code in order to become a fluent reader (and speller) of English e.g. the

• conceptual knowledge they require
• alphabet code knowledge they require
• skills they need to employ the conceptual and alphabet code knowledge.

This approach also marries with our writing strategy by promoting encoding at the same time as decoding.

Children in EYFS and KS1 receive a daily 30-minute phonics session and a minimum of 2 small group reading sessions using a decodable text. The lowest 20% are monitored and carefully assessed with timely and appropriate interventions being put in place such as pre-teaching. They are also heard read more frequently.

Every child has access to a phonetically decodable book which is suitable for their reading attainment as well as a reading for pleasure book. These books are routinely monitored by the class teacher.

Bridging Books

Once children start to become confident at applying the conceptual and alphabetic code and seem to ‘need more’ as a reader, they will progress onto receiving one of our bridging books in addition to their phonics book.  We have bridging band books starting at Green level.

The purpose of our bridging books is to move the children on from simply rehearsing and recalling the sounds, which have been taught in their phonics, to being able to draw on a wider range of sounds and apply them to longer stories and texts. It is through this application that the skills and knowledge that they have acquired through their phonics lessons will be transferred and applied; thus helping to develop their automaticity and fluency as a reader. 

Furthermore, the purpose of these books is to introduce our readers to chapter books that they can read and meet real authors so that their love of reading and understanding of what joy a book can bring will grow. These books are designed as a step towards developing a love and independence of reading.

Our bridging books are banded and, on purpose, draw from a range of ‘schemes’ and publishers. This is to promote choice and variety within our children’s reading diets. Furthermore, our phonics programme, Sounds-Write, and our bridging books are inclusive so you may have an emerging reader in Year 5 who is accessing the Moon-Dog phonics book series and a book from the Lime bridging books. Both of these texts would be suitable for the child’s maturity and stage of reading.

Eventually, as children become more proficient at reading, their need for the phonics books will lessen until they are only reading the bridging books and eventually they will no longer need these either.

Language Comprehension

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we use Talk for Reading as a process to teach comprehension. It is impactful because it is based on research of how children learn to read and rather than teaching discrete ‘skills,’ it develops children’s comprehension strategies¹ in order for them to be able to independently understand a text deeply. Talk for Reading also complements our writing implementation strategy which is based on Talk for Writing – together they strengthen the children’s learning in both areas. As Wayne Tennent states: As teachers we need to ‘deliberately and explicitly teach reading strategies that support the comprehension of a text.’²

Talk for Reading strengthens our curriculum thread of Oracy as the main focus of the strategy is dialogic comprehension – talking and thinking our way to understanding with the aim that deep thinking becomes a habit of the mind.

The strategies that teachers explicitly teach through the Talk for Reading process are:

1. Self-monitoring (inner voice asking: ‘Does that make sense?’)
2. Predict
3. Locate and link
4. Use the structure of the text
5. Draw on prior knowledge
6. Imagine (visualize)
7. Question – asking deep and shallow questions
8. Clarify
9. Summarise
10. Compare

We use Aiden Chamber’s Tell Me approach alongside ensuring coverage of the content domains as outlined in the end of Key Stage Assessments.

The Talk for Reading strategy is based on three stages: Introduction, Investigation, Independent Understanding - which moves children from a shallow understanding of a text into a deep understanding.

The quality of the text is pivotal to the success of the sequence and there is an expectation that is it ambitious,  rich and effectively assessed for its teaching potential using a text potential grid.

As children move into Key Stage 2, increased emphasis is placed on modelling written responses and children will become more familiar with the test-type questions through the teacher’s carefully selected use of sentence stems from the content domain questions (see Merged Comprehension skills document for further clarity and example question stems).

Over the course of a half term, the expected coverage will be as follows:

• A Talk for Reading Unit is completed (Year 1 summer term)
• DERIC activities
• RfP opportunities
• Daily class story
• EYFS and KS1 – Daily 30 minutes of phonics

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is given high priority at EHPS and is taught in all curriculum subjects explicitly and in context. Staff are trained in how to teach vocabulary effectively.

The reading curriculum is sequenced so that it is cumulative, whereby the children’s substantive knowledge is constantly revisited and built upon and the distributive knowledge is woven throughout.  It has also been designed so that, where appropriate, the texts chosen broaden and strengthen the knowledge of the Trust’s Wider Curriculum.

Furthermore, the texts selected have been influenced by Doug Lemov’s 5 plagues:

1. Archaic Language
2. Non-linear time sequences
3. Narratively Complex
4. Figurative / symbolic text
5. Resistant texts

And, it has also been written to ensure that all children are represented in the literature they are exposed too and there is a careful balance between classic and modern texts.

In EYFS and Year 1, rather than following the TfR sequence, due to the heavier timetabling of phonics and word recognition lessons, children will engage twice weekly (as a minimum) in oral comprehension using specially selected picture books. During the Summer Term, Year 1 will complete two Talk for Reading units of work. (NB: academic year 2021-2022 children are taught in mixed Year 1 and 2 so planning has been carefully adapted to ensure a balance).

The medium-term plans provide comprehensive overviews of every unit with reference to each aspect of the Talk for Reading process with a link to the texts and wider curriculum where appropriate. These have either been prepared for staff by expert teachers or written in collaboration to reduce teachers’ workload, ensure progression and support with staff subject knowledge. Note that whilst this planning is a support tool, teachers are encouraged to adapt, by adding to it, it in light of the formative assessments.

Core Reading Spine

Both the reading and writing curriculum is underpinned by a core reading spine which details the daily read-aloud programme and includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories and suggested book-club books. As the research suggests, Reading for Pleasure is the single biggest factor in determining a child’s future success³ ; therefore, at East Hunsbury we have ensured that we build our curriculum and culture around books and instilling in every child a love of reading.

This is also supported by our EHPS 100 Reads. These are 100 carefully selected books which we are promoting and challenging children to read by the time they leave EHPS.

Professional Development is very important to us at EHPS. We are committed to ensuring all teachers are trained in Sounds-Write as are all Teaching Assistants who support in the teaching of phonics in EYFS-KS2 are trained in Sounds-Write.

Furthermore, all staff are routinely trained and supported in the Talk for Reading approach. CPD opportunities are detailed on the training schedule and rigorous, intensive support provided where necessary by expert teachers. We believe at East Hunsbury that we learn best together so we have created a vibrant professional learning culture that is focussed on a relentless drive to improve ourselves so that we can improve the lives of those whom we teach.

Our English leader is a Talk for Reading trainer and actively seeks out best practice and uses this to further expand teachers’ competencies and confidence when delivering the approach. Our Phonics leader has attended the Sounds-Write master class.

We develop our staff drawing upon research-based practice but also using our own practice as important research.

Our ambition is to drown our children in a sea of wonderful, engaging and memorable reading experiences from: visiting authors and illustrators, participating in World Book Day, visits from the Royal Shakespeare Company and having the opportunity to attend book clubs, book swaps and read to a variety of children and adults across the school.

At East Hunsbury we believe that the best intervention will always be quality first teaching. We invest heavily in the development and training of our staff to ensure that they are skilled in the teaching of reading. This is an ongoing, ever evolving commitment.

However, to challenge our stronger readers we use the programme Reading Gladiators which is taught in Years 2-6. Reading Gladiators is about evoking high-level discussion and creative responses to quality texts and complements our Talk for Reading teaching units as the methodologies and expectations are similar. More information can be found here: https://readinggladiators.org.uk/about/

We also employ the Herts for Learning Reading Fluency Project across Years 2-6. This is to develop children’s fluency when reading thus aiding their comprehension. The intervention is taught twice a week and runs for 8 weeks. Some children may complete the intervention more than once. Data is collected to measure the impact and evaluate effectiveness on learning.

We believe that the Talk for Reading Process is inclusive and through careful scaffolding all children will be able to achieve and make the progress which they are capable of. All pupils will be appropriately supported throughout the phonics and comprehension lessons so that they can access all of the learning; consequently, ensuring that a ceiling is not placed on any child’s educational opportunities in reading.

At EHPS we believe that quality first teaching should always be the priority when addressing children’s needs. However, we do employ numerous interventions to support our early or developing readers such as:

• Herts for Learning Reading Fluency in KS1⁴ and KS2
• Sounds-Write intervention programme, diagnostics and phonics Club
• 1:1 readers
• YARC as an assessment tool for diagnosing areas for development and focussed teaching
• Specific pre-learning and targeted work for the lowest 20%
• WellComm
• NELI
• EAL

Below is an example of a bookclub specifically designed to support Year 4 EAL children. It is based upon cognitive science and how children learn to read.

The impact of our interventions will be consistently monitored to ensure that it is having the impact as the programme intends.

Engaging parents is a priority at EHPS and we are committed to nurturing and developing the way in which we communicate to and with our families. In academic year 2022-2023 we hope to be launching a series of short videos on how we teach children to read at East Hunsbury but also how families can support their children at home with reading. Annually, we lead a remote Early Reading information session for parents and encourage all to complete this parent course: https://www.udemy.com/course/help-your-child-to-read-and-write/ which is all about Sounds-Write.

Currently, regular reading newsletters are sent out which includes Mrs Pennington’s Recommended reads!

At EHPS we are proud to be an inclusive school and reading is integral to the teaching and well-being of our children in the Special Unit. Due to the complex and diverse needs of every child in the unit, all reading approaches and resources have to be tailored carefully to each child. Our Specialist Unit is beginning their Sound-Write journey and teachers in the SU are skilled at employing a range of approaches to improve the reading lives and life chances of the children who attend the unit.   Regularly opportunities to share stories and read with children in the mainstream are planned in and celebrated.

By the time the children reach the end of our reading curriculum, they will have experienced a rich variety of the finest literature in order to have moved from learning to read to reading to learn. They will be able to read fluently and understand well what they read. They will able to engage in meaningful discussions about literature and through exposure to a wide range of Tier 2 vocabulary they will have a vast array of words at their disposal.

Reading evidence will be recorded in reading response books (KS2 only) and in large floor books. The environments will also evidence the positive reading culture and ongoing teaching.

Reading will be assessed through the use of:

• The independent understanding task(s) which is completed by pupils at the end of each unit- teachers must use this to assess the impact of the teaching (these will be recorded in reading response books and/or floor books).
• Whole school and cluster reading moderation led by teachers in school one of which is an SLE.
• NTS termly reading assessments, results are then inputted onto our Insight Tracking System.
• Year 2 and Year 6, TAF (teacher framework) and exemplification documents are used as a reference during the in-school moderation of these specific year groups.
• Year 6, in order to be ‘test ready’ will complete past papers – teachers will analyse these results to design next steps and teaching priorities.
• Simple View of Reading – For the lowest 20% and for children not making good or better progress teachers will assess them on a half-termly basis using the simple view of reading – this will then determine adaptations to teaching focuses and any interventions needed.
• Quality Assurance of reading is completed by the reading lead alongside class teachers during data entry times.
• The reading lead will regularly hear children across the school read.
• York Assessment of Reading Comprehension for early readers and children being considered for the Herts for Learning fluency intervention.
• Sounds-write diagnostic assessments.
• Pupil voice and surveys will help us determine how the children perceive and value reading at EHPS.
• Speed and Fluency These will be conducted at least termly with the lowest 20% and those children who either did not finish the NTS paper or who are not making expected progress. The information from this will aid our assessment of their reading mileage and influence necessary next steps.

At Easy Hunsbury we believe that assessments must be appropriate, timely and impactful on teaching and learning. Consequently, we will constantly review the effectiveness of the way in which we assess reading to ensure that it provides us with the information we need in order to move learning forwards.

The reading lead, along with phase leaders, will work collaboratively with all staff to offer bespoke support in order to continually improve practice. Leaders will identify any support required through skills audits, team meetings, staff and pupil surveys, learning walks, monitoring systems and the standard of work in books and classrooms.