READING AT HAGBOURNE

INTENT:

At Hagbourne, we believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to be fluent, confident readers who are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wide range of texts. We want pupils to develop a love of reading, a good knowledge of a range of authors, and be able to understand more about the world in which they live through the knowledge they gain from texts. By the end of their time at primary school, all children should be able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education. We do not put ceilings on what pupils can achieve in reading and we do not hold pre-conceptions about any pupils’ ability to make progress. We understand the importance of parents and carers in supporting their children to develop both word reading and comprehension skills, and so we want to encourage a home-school partnership which enables parents and carers to understand how to enhance the skills being taught in school through good quality texts.

IMPLEMENTATION:

Classroom organisation: 

We teach phonics and reading skills, based on ‘Letters and Sounds,’ as whole class lessons or in small groups depending on a child’s needs/abilities, so that all children have access to the age related skills and knowledge contained in the National Curriculum. Within lessons, teachers and teaching assistants target support for slower graspers to enable them to achieve at an age-related level wherever possible. Rapid graspers are also given opportunities to demonstrate a greater depth of understanding through extended answers, targeted questioning requiring more reasoned answers and making greater links across and between texts. 

Phonics: Early Years and Key Stage 1: Pupils are taught focusing on individual sounds, groups of sounds and common exception words within different ‘phases’. We have an agreed progression for the teaching of new sounds and use a variety of published schemes and resources to support this. Slower graspers are given additional support from teachers and teaching assistants, either within the whole class lesson or as part of planned interventions that take place in addition to the lesson.

 During the Summer Term in Year 1, pupils undertake a Phonics Screening Test which assesses their ability to apply what 

they have learnt. After this, lessons move towards whole class reading lessons that take the same model as Years 2 to 6. Pupils who do not pass their Phonics Screening Test continue to have intervention to support the acquisition of these key skills. 

Beyond year 2, reading is taught as a whole class, using a shared approach following VIPERS.

VIPERS are a range of reading prompts based on the 2016 reading Content Domain Areas (CDAs) found in the National Curriculum Test Framework. Each classroom will have the Reading VIPERS displayed in the reading area of their classroom and the class teacher will make explicit links to the skill the children will be learning about. This gives all children across the school a common language to discuss their reading knowledge and understanding.

Whole school Reading Scheme 

We have a whole school reading scheme  that ensures progression in both word reading skills and comprehension. The scheme is structured to ensure that children have access to a wide range of texts, and allows for pupils to develop their skills within a level before moving to the next level. All pupils have a home-reading record which they are encouraged to take home daily. Parents and carers are asked to add comments to the home-reading records for KS1 pupils and KS2 children are encouraged to be more independent, writing  a response themselves- this is expected a minimum of 3 times a week.

Developing a reading culture at Hagbourne:

• We read across the curriculum: topic books, newspapers, magazines
• All class teachers read a class novel to model expression when reading aloud
• We do story telling and re-enacting stories
• We set up visit from authors and illustrators
• We have a book fair
• We have strong links with Didcot library and visit termly
• All KS1 and reception children have a KS1 book buddy who they meet weekly
• Celebrate 'Wolrld Book Day' and 'National Poetry Day'
• 'Author of the Month' 
• Visits from local bookshop to share new books/authors to inspire more diverse book choices
• Regular competitions such as ‘Get caught reading’ and WBD ‘Dress a potato’
• Displays of what the staff are reading to promote reading
• Children and parent book swap
• Termly reading cafes for year groups (TBA)
• Authorfy writing clubs runs termly
• 'Luggage Library' at lunchtimes
• We participate in the Summer reading challenge organised by the local library

IMPACT

• Pupils will enjoy reading across a range of genres  
• Pupils of all abilities will be able to succeed in all reading lessons  
• Pupils will use a range of strategies for decoding words, not solely relying on phonics  
• Pupils will have a good knowledge of a range of authors  
• Pupils will be ready to read in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education  
• Parents and carers will have a good understanding of how they can support reading and home, and contribute regularly to home-school records  
• The % of pupils working at ARE within each year group will be at least in line with national averages.  
• The % of pupils working at Greater Depth within each year group will be at least in line with national averages  
• There will be no significant gaps in the progress of different groups of pupils (e.g. disadvantaged vs non-disadvantaged)