We are Readers 

Intent

At Asquith Primary School we strive to help our children connect to the wider world through developing them into articulate and imaginative communicators, who are well-equipped with the skills they need to become life-long learners. Therefore, we have designed our reading curriculum with the intent that all children, regardless of background, will become fluent, insightful readers who can confidently communicate their ideas and opinions both verbally and in writing, and demonstrate their knowledge by applying it to all areas of their learning. It is our intention to immerse our pupils in the wonders of quality texts, to instil a love for reading that stays with them throughout their lives. We believe that a secure basis in reading skills is crucial to a high-quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.

Our reading curriculum aims to:

Deliver the National Curriculum and EYFS Framework ensuring all pupils can:

• Read confidently and understand what they read.
• Enjoy reading often, both for fun and to find out information.
• Learn and use a wide range of words, understand how sentences work, and use correct language when reading, writing and speaking.
• Enjoy and value different types of stories, poems and texts from the past and present.
• Use their reading to inform their own writing with clear purposes and audiences.
• Talk about their learning, explaining their ideas clearly and building on what others say.
• Speak and listen well in different situations, including giving presentations, explaining ideas to others and taking part in discussions and debates.

Promote a Love of Words

We immerse children in a diverse and rich range of high-quality texts and authors. This broad exposure helps them develop a wide and varied vocabulary and a genuine love of language. Through rich reading, discussion and exploration of words, pupils learn not only to enjoy language for its own sake, but also to use it confidently and appropriately to express themselves in a wide range of situations.

Develop Readers for Life

We are committed to developing confident, fluent readers through the delivery of a high-quality, systematic phonics programme (RWI.). This enables children to decode accurately, build fluency and develop confidence from an early age. As their reading skills grow, pupils are encouraged to read widely across the curriculum, deepening their knowledge, understanding and curiosity about the world around them, and fostering a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure and information.

Provide Meaningful Opportunities

We equip children with the skills and confidence they need to make themselves heard and understood in an ever-changing world. Pupils are given regular opportunities to share their ideas through speaking, listening, reading and writing, both in and beyond the classroom. Enrichment experiences such as visits to libraries, author visits, reading picnics, and whole-school reading events further inspire pupils and strengthen their connection to books and reading.

Encourage Pupils to Dream Big

We support children in developing the communication skills they need to succeed in the next stages of their education and beyond. By nurturing strong speaking and writing skills, we empower pupils to express their ideas clearly, advocate for themselves and engage confidently with the wider community. Through literacy, we open doors to wider opportunities and encourage pupils to dream big, believe in their potential and aspire to achieve their goals.

Rooted in Our School Values:

Through the teaching of reading, we embed our core school values:

• Determination – Pupils are encouraged to persevere and develop resilience as they build their reading skills and knowledge, learning to approach challenging texts with confidence and a positive mindset.
• Honesty – Children are supported to reflect thoughtfully on their learning, recognising what they already know, identifying areas for improvement and understanding the next steps needed to progress.
• Responsibility – Pupils are encouraged to take ownership of their learning by caring for books and resources, using them appropriately, and developing the confidence to ask for help when it is needed.
• Respect – Through exposure to a wide range of texts, pupils learn to respect different people, cultures, viewpoints and experiences. Reading and discussion provide opportunities to listen carefully to others and value beliefs and backgrounds that may differ from their own.
• Understanding – Children develop empathy by engaging with characters, settings and events in texts, enabling them to understand and appreciate the thoughts, feelings and experiences of others.

Implementation

How We Teach Reading at Asquith Primary School

• We base our reading curriculum on high-quality books that broaden children’s knowledge of the world. These texts introduce new ideas, challenge stereotypes, share different viewpoints and encourage children to think about important moral issues.

• Every year group follows a carefully chosen ‘Book Spine’. This ensures that children hear a wide range of stories and poems read aloud each day. Teachers can also add class favourites or new authors to keep reading fresh, exciting and responsive to children’s interests.

• We use quality texts across the wider curriculum too. In subjects such as science, history and geography, books help deepen children’s understanding and give them a rich, varied reading experience.

• In the Early Years and Year 1, we teach early reading through Read Write Inc. Phonics. This structured approach helps all children learn to read accurately and fluently by building strong phonics skills.

• From Year 2 to Year 6, we teach reading through Talk for Reading, which teaches children to think deeply and verbalise their opinions and ideas about texts. At this stage, most children can read confidently and fluently, so lessons focus on developing comprehension skills.

Children learn how to:
– find and retrieve information
– summarise what they’ve read
– explore new vocabulary
– make predictions
– compare texts
– infer meaning
– understand an author’s choices

They develop these skills through rich discussion, questioning, debate and sharing opinions. They also answer written questions, ask their own questions, write in the style of an author and create book reviews—strengthening both their reading and writing skills.

ERIC (Everyone reading in school) happens in all key stage 2 classrooms. Children have a wide range of books to choose from within their reading range. Each day they have opportunities to read their chosen book and share it with peers.

Lowest 20% of readers are identified and their needs carefully assessed as we believe every child has not only the capability to read and comprehend, but also the entitlement. A variety of interventions are provided including specified phonics interventions, precision teach, 1:1 reading and small targeted comprehension groups.

Impact

• Pupils leave their primary education being able to read with fluency and expression across a wide range of genres and for different purposes.
• Pupils leave their primary education with a wide knowledge of quality texts and a deep-rooted pleasure in reading.
• Pupils are able to effectively discuss what they have read and make critical judgements about their reading.
• Pupils can formulate arguments and support them with solid reasoning and evidence
• Pupils will be independent thinkers.