READING INTENT At St Thomas CE (VC) Primary School we want to foster a lifelong love of reading by exposing our children to various literature across all curriculum areas. We want to teach our pupils to be happy, healthy and curious learners who read confidently and fluently and seek to acquire knowledge independently. Through building up the children’s vocabulary it gives them the word power they need to become successful speakers and writers as well as confident readers. Reading is a key life skill and we strive to embed a culture of reading into the core of what we do. Reading and quality literature is implicitly interwoven into our curriculum through the use of key texts to expose our children to various genres and famous authors and to enhance the variety of exciting topics that we teach. IMPLEMENTATION At St Thomas CE (VC) Primary School, within our English curriculum, we have incorporated key age appropriate talk for writing texts to celebrate and promote the value of literature and language to our children. These books are used to create opportunities to develop reading fluency and comprehension with a focus on key reading strategies and skills. As well as develop grammar and punctuation knowledge and understanding to use and apply across the wider curriculum. We also offer daily phonics lessons and shared reading in EYFS and Key Stage 1 and guided reading and power reading in Key Stage 2 and whole class reading throughout. In addition, our reading curriculum is enhanced through the Tommy’s book bingo challenge, our well stocked, extensive library and book tent, all which enrich and complement children’s learning. IMPACT At St Thomas Primary School we strive to promote a positive reading culture where books and the love of literature is both celebrated and valued. Through the teaching of 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. Attainment in phonics is measured through the Phonics Screening Test at the end of Year 1. Across all year groups we use formative teacher assessments in guided reading and English lesson followed by summative assessments each term resulting in PPR meetings. However, we firmly believe that reading is the key to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments. We promote reading for pleasure where children are encouraged to develop their own love of genres and authors. We intend the impact of our English curriculum will ensure our pupils are academically prepared for life beyond primary school. RECOMMENDED WEBSITES Book Trust Geraldine the Giraffe Letters and Sounds Phonics Play Oxford Owl How to join the Library RELEVANT DOCUMENTS Early Years Book Bingo KS1 Book Bingo KS2 Book Bingo Reading Policy Reading Skills Progression office@stthomas.org.uk parents@stthomas.org.uk St Thomas CE (VC) Primary School Sherwood Avenue Bradley Huddersfield HD2 1RQ (01484) 226557 STAFF LOGIN