Reading is an essential life skill that children need to master. Reading is necessary for learning and therefore learning to read is essential so that children can read to learn; it unlocks the door to lifelong learning.

By learning to read, children learn about people, places and events that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It can help children to make sense of the world that is around them and helps children to develop more empathy. It expands their understanding of the world.

Not only can reading help children make sense of the world but it can help children to develop language and listening skills. It aids in developing focus and concentration which they will be able to apply to other areas of their life and it can help to improve wellbeing.

How we achieve excellent reading:

• A reading spine has been created through medium terms plans in English, class reader texts and across the curriculum to ensure quality tests engage children in a wide repertoire of reading as well as support good writing outcomes. 
• We achieve it through successful interventions to prevent underachievement
• Promoting reading for pleasure through libraries with a wealth of literature
• We teach the skills needed to promote reading comprehension
• Regular assessments to inform classroom practice
• We follow a synthetic phonics programme (see below):

Phonics at Swingate:

The teaching of phonics at Swingate Primary School is good, and it uses the All Aboard Phonics scheme:

• Uses a similar approach to Letters and Sounds which our teachers and children are all currently familiar with.
• This scheme has a list of decodable books which we are going to embed as part of out daily phonics teaching and will be included in the ‘apply’ stage.
• All decodable books are available on an app which our parents will be able to access from home. Any family unable to access this app at home will be able to work with us to access the text in another way.
• All Aboard phonics provides online bitesize training which our teachers and TAs will be able to access. Middle and Senior leaders will be able to monitor and support teachers to support their own CPD with this.
• All Aboard phonics provides support to parents to help them at home with phonics.
• All Aboard phonics provides visual
• This phonics scheme also provides an intervention programme which we will be using with our current year 2 children as they move into year 3. These interventions will be tailor-made for each individual and support with teaching these is also available through the scheme.
• We want to provide continuity for our children across Key Stage 1 and 2 to support any child who needs further support in phonics as they get into key stage 2.
• All Aboard provides resources for each phase. These resources will be purchased for each year group, used during teaching as well as displayed in the class to provide the children with continuity.
• There is also access to games on the online app which will encourage our children to practise their phonic knowledge at home.

Reading Scheme:

In Year R we use the scheme PM Readers

In Year 1 2 we use Oxford Reading Tree

In KS2 we use Oxford Treetops unless children are reading any book they wish