Reading and Phonics

Reading and Phonics

At St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary School, we nurture confident readers, thoughtful writers and articulate speakers. Through high-quality texts, rich vocabulary and purposeful opportunities to communicate, we aim to help every child develop a lifelong love of language and learning.

Our Catholic ethos runs throughout English. Stories, poetry and discussion help children explore kindness, compassion, respect and the experiences of others, supporting our commitment to nurturing hearts and minds.

Our English Curriculum

Reading, writing, speaking and listening are closely connected. Children develop these skills through carefully sequenced teaching and have opportunities to use them across the wider curriculum. We want children to read with fluency and understanding, write clearly and creatively, listen attentively and express their ideas with confidence.

Phonics and Early Reading

In Pre-School, children follow Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics. Songs, nursery rhymes, stories, listening games and playful activities build language and sound awareness.

In Reception and Year 1, we teach daily phonics lessons using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. Children learn to recognise letters and groups of letters, link them to sounds and blend sounds to read words.

Children take part in three reading practice sessions each week using books matched to their phonic knowledge. The sessions develop decoding (reading words accurately), prosody (reading with expression) and comprehension (understanding what is read). Children bring home a matched reading practice book and have opportunities to enjoy sharing books for pleasure.

Regular Little Wandle assessments, including half-termly checks, help teachers identify next steps. Children who need extra practice receive targeted Keep-up support; older pupils may receive appropriate Catch-up support where needed.

Reading Across the School

As children progress, they encounter increasingly varied and challenging fiction, non-fiction and poetry. From Year 2 to Year 6, whole-class guided reading develops fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. We use VIPERS to support discussion and understanding: Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Summarising or Sequencing.

Reading also plays an important part in other subjects. Children use texts to build knowledge, explore ideas and develop subject-specific vocabulary.

Reading for Pleasure

We want reading to be something children choose and enjoy. Class stories, poetry, conversations about books and opportunities to discover different authors and genres help children develop their own interests as readers. We encourage children to recommend books and share their enthusiasm for reading.

Writing

We encourage children to write with confidence, imagination and purpose. Through planned teaching and high-quality texts, they develop their handwriting, spelling, grammar, vocabulary and composition. Children write for a range of purposes and audiences in English lessons and across the curriculum.

Speaking, Listening and Vocabulary

Children are encouraged to listen carefully, ask questions, explain their thinking and respond to others. We introduce and revisit vocabulary through stories, discussion and learning across the curriculum so children can communicate increasingly precisely and confidently.

Assessment and Additional Support

Teachers use regular assessment, classroom observations and reading activities to identify children’s strengths and next steps. Alongside Little Wandle assessments, reading assessments and comprehension work help teachers plan appropriate teaching, support and challenge.

Supporting Learning at Home

Sharing books at home makes a real difference. We encourage families to enjoy stories together, listen to their child read, talk about characters and events, explore new authors and visit the library. For children learning phonics, practising the matched reading book and enjoying a separate sharing book are both valuable.

Little Wandle resources for parents, including pronunciation guidance and support videos: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

Curriculum Documents and Recommended Reading

Please find our curriculum documents and recommended reading lists in the files section of this page. 

Curriculum documents

• English Policy – March 2026
• Reading Curriculum Progression – Pre-School to Year 6 (2026–2027)
• Little Wandle Phonics Progression Overview (Reception and Year 1)
• Little Wandle Phonics Progression Overview (Pre-School)

Recommended reading lists

• Pre-School
• Reception
• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3
• Year 4
• Year 5
• Year 6

Supporting phonics at home

Little Wandle parent resources: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/