Literacy Leaders

Miss C McGinnes (EYFS & KS1)
Miss C Baxter (KS2)

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At Wombwell Park Street Primary School we focus primarily on basic key skills in Reading because we believe that this impacts massively on other areas of the curriculum.  Learners need to read in Literacy, Maths, Geography, Science and so on.  By ensuring attainment and progress levels are maintained in Reading, there is a hopeful impact seen in the attainment and progress of other subjects.

We have a number of incentives and reward systems in place for children in Reception to Year 6.  Children are expected to read every evening for at least 10 minutes, as and when possible.  Parents can then sign this off in their child's 'Reading Record Diary' and they are rewarded with a stamp in school.  Once the child reaches 25 times of reading, they are presented with a reward card in Golden Book assembly on a Friday.  These rewards continue when the children reach 50, 100, 150 and 200 times.  We have found this to have a massive impact on children having a love of reading.

We do not use one specific reading scheme in school.  Instead we use a wide variety of reading schemes to appeal to all of the different learning needs of the children.  These are predominantly Phonics based so children can apply their Phonics learning within their reading.  Children normally begin in Reception by reading books without words and this quickly progresses on to reading simple, decodable texts.  We have book banding for children from reception - Year 6 to ensure progression through the reading levels.  When children reach the top levels of reading, there is the expectation that they become 'free readers' and can bring in books from home - as long as they are suitably challenging the children's thinking!

In KS1 and KS2 we have a list of 'Non-Negotiable' aspects of teaching and learning in Reading, which staff have to use to plan and deliver quality reading sessions.  Year groups from 1-6 aim to read with the class for a minimum of 30 minutes, at least four days a week (five in KS1).  Reading is taught rigorously by using quality, rich texts to expose the children to high quality literature.  Teachers and other adults are encouraged to use outstanding questioning to deepen the children's thinking and understanding of texts types and characters etc.  Staff try to use HOTS questioning (higher order thinking skills) and encourage children, where possible to speak the answer and write the answer appropriately.

Phonics is taught daily throughout EYFS and KS1, by both teachers and teaching assistants.  We have a specified area in school for the delivery of Phonics interventions on top of this.  This area has creative and effective games and resources to further the children's skills.  As a school we use 'Letters and Sounds', alongside aspects of 'Jolly Phonics'.  Our Sports Coach and Inclusion Teaching Assistant also support Phonics progression by the implementation of 'Active Phonics', with targeted children.  Children progress through from Phase 1-6 in EYFS - KS1.  We aim to get the majority of children to the 'expected standard' at the end of Year 1, when they take the 'Phonics Screening Check'.  This normally happens in June each year, when staff engage the children in reading 40 real and nonsense words, using different sounds.  This 'Check' takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and is done in a sensitive way with a familiar adult - the children always love the challenge.  Please see more information at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-2017-materials
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/key-stage-1-and-key-stage-2-test-dates