Reading

We place reading at the heart of our curriculum. Through high-quality teaching, a rich reading culture and a systematic approach to early reading, we ensure that all pupils develop the knowledge, skills and motivation they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Intent

Reading is fundamental to pupils’ success in education and in life. It underpins access to the full curriculum and is essential for future learning, employment and wellbeing.

We believe that all children, regardless of starting point, are entitled to a high-quality, ambitious reading curriculum that enables them to become fluent, confident and motivated readers.

Our approach is grounded in the Simple View of Reading: pupils must develop both word reading (decoding) and language comprehension to become successful readers.

We prioritise:

• the teaching of early reading through a systematic synthetic phonics programme (Rocket Phonics)
• the development of fluent, automatic word reading
• rich spoken language and vocabulary development
• reading for pleasure and engagement with high-quality texts

We recognise that early success in reading is crucial. Pupils who do not learn to read quickly are at risk of falling behind across the curriculum. Therefore, we are determined that every child will learn to read, and that those who need additional support receive it promptly and effectively.

By the end of Year 6, we aim for all pupils to:

• read accurately, fluently and with appropriate expression
• understand, interpret and evaluate a wide range of texts
• use reading to gain knowledge across the curriculum
• develop a genuine enjoyment of reading
• be prepared for the demands of secondary education

Implementation

Our reading curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6 to ensure that pupils build knowledge and skills cumulatively over time.

Early reading and phonics (Rocket Phonics)

We use Rocket Phonics, a validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programme, to teach early reading. This provides a structured and coherent approach to learning the alphabetic code, blending and segmenting.

• Daily phonics teaching begins in Reception
• Teaching follows a clearly sequenced progression of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
• Pupils read fully decodable books matched precisely to their phonics knowledge
• Regular assessment ensures that pupils keep up with the programme

We maintain fidelity to the programme to ensure consistency and effectiveness across the school, in line with national expectations.

Developing fluency

Fluency is a key priority, enabling pupils to read with speed, accuracy and expression so they can focus on meaning.

• Pupils engage in regular reading practice and re-reading of texts
• Teachers model fluent reading through shared and guided reading
• Opportunities for oral reading are prioritised

Language comprehension and vocabulary

Spoken language is central to our reading curriculum. We provide a language-rich environment where pupils:

• engage in high-quality discussions about texts
• develop vocabulary explicitly and through exposure to rich literature
• listen to and respond to stories, poetry and non-fiction regularly

Daily story time and reading aloud are prioritised to develop comprehension, background knowledge and enjoyment of reading.

Reading across the curriculum

Reading is embedded across all subjects. Pupils are taught to:

• access and interpret subject-specific texts
• develop knowledge through reading
• engage in discussion to deepen understanding

This ensures that reading is both a subject in its own right and the gateway to learning across the curriculum.

Reading for pleasure

We foster a strong reading culture by:

• providing access to a wide range of high-quality texts
• promoting independent reading and book choice
• celebrating reading through events, recommendations and discussion

We understand that motivation and engagement are closely linked to reading success.

Supporting all learners

We prioritise early identification and support, ensuring that pupils ‘keep up, not catch up’.

• Frequent assessment identifies pupils at risk of falling behind
• Targeted interventions are implemented quickly
• Older pupils who need support continue to receive phonics-based teaching where appropriate

Impact

The impact of our reading curriculum is reflected in pupils’ fluency, confidence and enjoyment of reading.

By the time they leave Barnes, pupils:

• read fluently, accurately and with increasing independence
• demonstrate strong comprehension skills across a range of texts
• use reading effectively to support learning across the curriculum
• show a genuine enthusiasm for reading
• are well prepared for the reading demands of secondary school

Pupils’ progress is evident through ongoing assessment, pupil voice, book scrutiny and outcomes in statutory assessments. However, we place equal importance on developing lifelong readers who are motivated, knowledgeable and confident.

We ensure that reading remains a priority across the school, recognising that it is the key to unlocking all areas of learning and future success.