#NurtureDevelopEmpower

Phonics is taught discreetly in Key Stage 1 and as group or individual interventions with those KS2/3 and 4 children identified as requiring rapid catch-up or SEND needs.

Phonics Lead Teacher- Kate Daley

English Lead Teacher – Wendy Hollands

Primary Short Stay Assistant Head (KS2 Teacher) – Karen Evans

Primary Short Stay HLTA (KS1 Teacher) - Christine Hodson

Primary Specialist Assistant Head (KS2 Teacher) – Helen Stewart

Primary KS2 Teacher- Henry Groome

Primary KS2 Teacher – Katherine Clarke

Primary KS2 Teacher – Laura Hayward-Harris

Secondary Short Stay Deputy Head (KS3/4 Teacher) – Claire Bowen

Secondary Short Stay KS3/4 Teacher – Sarah Parker

Secondary Short Stay KS3/4 Teacher – Kate Daley

Secondary Specialist Assistant Head (KS3/4 Teacher) – Wendy Hollands

Secondary Specialist KS3/4 Teacher- Jordan Paskin

At The Linden Centre, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. Therefore, we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We assess the starting point of each child and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school or placement.

As a result, all our children are comfortable when tackling unfamiliar words as they read. We also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.

At The Linden Centre, we value reading as a crucial life skill. By the time children leave us, they read confidently for meaning and regularly enjoy reading for pleasure. Our readers are equipped with the tools to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary. We encourage our children to see themselves as readers for both pleasure and purpose.

Curriculum Sequencing

Please use the links below to access the Government’s phonics screening materials and information for 2022 and an explanation of why we teach reading through phonics:

Government Phonics Screening Materials 2022

Learning to read through phonics

Reading Beyond Phonics

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is developed daily across all key stages during English lessons. Children have further, daily, opportunities to engage in reading and develop comprehension skills during VIPER challenges. Across each year, children will focus on six key strands of reading comprehension: (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explaining, Retrieval, Sequence/Summarise.)

Reading Stamina

Reading stamina is actively promoted across school. It is expected that all children will read 90 words per minute of an age appropriate text from Year 2 onwards. By the end of each academic year, it is expected that:

In Year 1 children will read 60 words of an age appropriate text in one minute.

In Year 2 children will read 270 words of an age appropriate text in three minutes.

In Year 3 children will read 270 words of an age appropriate text in three minutes.

In Year 4 children will read 360 words of an age appropriate text in four minutes.

In Year 5 children will read 450 words of an age appropriate text in five minutes.

In Year 6 children will read extended texts at 90 words per minute (in line with end of KS2 testing).

To support early identification of a reading issue with a child, all children not accessing phonics complete ‘Literacy Assessments Online.’ This identifies which children require 1:1 targeted reading support as their sight reading age is significantly lower than that of their chronological age. They are then re-tested on this at the end of each term to chart progress and inform next steps. Reading Speed is then tracked through individualised data on Accelerated Reader.

Reading for Pleasure

Reading for pleasure is encouraged in a range of ways across school. All classes base their literacy work on a class text to engage all children and inspire a love of learning across the curriculum. Additionally, all classes share a class story with their class tutor at a regular time during the day so that the children have the chance to listen to someone reading to them. All children in Key Stage 2 and beyond select an age-appropriate text, based on their assessed reading age from the selection in the school library or from a larger selection online (unless they access phonics or 1:1 reading) and they get to read this after lunch. The purpose of this is to not only promote engagement within reading but to develop individual reading confidence and fluency.

Targeted 1:1 Reading

Vulnerable children and those with SEND (in KS2) read 1:1 with an adult at least three times each week. The books that children read are matched to their reading age/ability informed by the reading age online test. Targeted reading sessions focus on building confidence and fluency.

Intervention Programmes for Reading

Regular and rigorous assessments take place throughout lessons and at various points throughout the year to ensure the children are accessing the correct level of reading for them. If children are not working within the expected standard, they will receive extra support and targeted intervention from the following programme:

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Keep-up

Progress made by children who participate in these intervention programmes is tracked by the TAs delivering them and then monitored by SLT to identify if it is successful or if a different intervention is needed to ensure that these children reach the expected level in reading.

The Linden Centre recommends students use the following websites to aid their learning:

Little Wandle phonics resources for parents

Oxford Owl

Phonics Play

ICT games

Letters and Sounds

BBC Bitesize Key Stage 1 Phonics activities

BBC Bitesize Key Stage 2 Phonics activities

Topmarks Phonics activities