Reading Intent, Implementation and Impact

Reading Intent

At Greatfield Park Primary School, we recognise that reading ‘opens doors’ to learning about the world around us. As a ‘reading school’, we want our children to aspire to enjoy a lifelong love of reading. From the moment a child arrives in the Early Years at Greatfield Park, they will access a reading curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all pupils the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. 

We want pupils to find pleasure in reading and to make progress in their skills, in order to read to an excellent standard. We aspire to be a reading community immersed in books and high-quality literature and aim to provide pupils with the tools to develop into enthusiastic, determined and confident readers, both at school and at home, regardless of their ability.  We extend those opportunities outside of the classroom with links to wide range of authors. ‘Accelerated Reader’ is used when pupils have completed the Read, Write, Inc phonics programme. It supports pupils to select texts appropriate to their level, engage in assessment quizzes and accelerate their progress. 

We recognise the importance of reading as a subject, but also the importance of applying the skills learned in reading and other subjects. We recognise that reading improves oracy and vocabulary, creating inspired writers. Reading inspires imagination, develops mindful learners and gives everybody an opportunity to develop and foster new interests. We aim to use our inclusive and high-quality resources to provide support and challenge for all. Reading skills are taught through whole class VIPERS sessions, Teachers’ expectations of pupils ensure that they attain standards at least in line with the national average at the end of all key stages, to prepare them for their next stage of education. 

We want children to make meaningful links between what they read and the rest of the curriculum. Adults within the school act as reading role-models and experts using their knowledge of current and relevant authors to extend their reading experiences. The breadth of our reading curriculum complements our whole-school community’s engagement with the world around them, fostering greater respect for different cultures and empathy for all within the world in which they live.

Reading Implementation

Phonics

When the children join school in Reception, they begin with the systematic and rigorous teaching of daily phonics using the programme called Read, Write, Inc (RWI.) While completing the RWI programme, children read books that are matched to their phonics knowledge. This allows them to apply their segmenting and blending skills and build fluency in their reading style as they read and re-read texts suited to their reading ability. Children are assessed at least every 6 weeks, to ensure they are working at the correct phase. They are also encouraged to take home a ‘reading for pleasure’ book from the school library.

For those children in Year 2 who did not pass the phonics screening test in Year 1, additional, small group interventions take place. The children are also assessed by the Phonics Lead teacher, to ensure progress is being made. Children in Key stage 2 who have not passed the phonics check are monitored to ensure they have opportunities to reach age-related levels of attainment.

In Reception, children are read to throughout the day and a range of high quality texts are enjoyed together, many linked to other areas of the curriculum. In Key Stage 1, pupils are read to regularly and at the end of each day enjoy a class novel being read-aloud to them by an adult.  In Key Stage 2, children have a class novel read aloud to them by an adult at least three times per week and this is often linked to an area of the curriculum.  

Reading Books

From Year 2 to Year 6, reading is supported using Accelerated Reader (AR). Children are assessed on this programme once they have completed the RWI programme. AR assesses children on their comprehension skills on a regular basis through the implementation of a ‘Star Test’, which then gives the individual a targeted ‘reading range’. This range gives children the opportunity to choose a book that interests them and that will also continue to support them in making further progress in their reading. Pupils take reading books home from the classroom and the library in order to practise and consolidate the skills they are learning in school. These books are banded according to language and comprehension level. When children are confident with their knowledge of the book, they access a ‘reading quiz’ online, which gives them instant feedback on their success. Children have a daily opportunity in school to access a device to complete a quiz and the link to access quizzes can be followed at home too by clicking on https://www.greatfieldparkschool.com/accelerated-reader/  

If children are consistently succeeding in these quizzes, they are encouraged to read books that are higher within their range or ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD). ‘Star Tests’ are carried out at least half termly in line with our Assessment Schedule, to ensure children are reading within their correct range.

Year 2 to Year 6 VIPERS

Our Reading curriculum is designed to ensure coverage and the progressive development of skills. At Greatfield Park Primary School, we use Reading VIPERS from Year 2 and throughout Key Stage 2 to teach reading skills through 6 key areas: Vocabulary, Infer, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, Sequence or Summarise. We have a carefully planned Programme of Study linked to a range of genre to ensure good range and coverage.

Reading Impact

The impact of the reading emphasis and teaching at Greatfield Park will be…

• High progress measures from a child’s initial reading ability
• Y1 Phonic Screening Check pass rates
• Children will have a good knowledge of a range of authors
• High levels of engagement with a range of high-quality books
• The ability to read across a range of subjects
• A fostering of reading for pleasure
• The % of children working at age-related expected standards within each year group will at least be in line or exceeding with national averages.
• There will be no significant gaps in the progress of different groups of pupils (e.g. disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged)

Summative assessment of reading is through external tests such as SATs (Year 2 and 6) or the phonics screening check as well as in school assessments.

Formative assessment is carried out using teacher assessment tracked on our Insight tracker.

Writing Intent, Implementation and Impact

Writing Intent

At Greatfield Park Primary School, we believe that all pupils should be able to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions clearly and creatively through their writing. Our pupils will be taught to plan, revise and evaluate their writing through carefully sequenced units, covering a variety of text types.

We believe spoken language underpins the development of writing. The quality of language that pupils hear and speak is vital for developing their vocabulary, grammar and understanding for writing. Children will be taught to write accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.  We want pupils to acquire a wide vocabulary, a solid understanding of grammar, accurate punctuation and be able to spell new words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn.

Careful links are made across the curriculum through experiential learning to ensure children’s writing is relevant and meaningful. We make sure that they develop an understanding of how widely writing is used in everyday life and, therefore, how important and useful the skills are that they are learning. We set high expectations for all our pupils to take pride in their work and have a fluent, cursive handwriting style, resulting in excellent presentation. We believe that all good writers refine and edit their writing over time, so we want children to develop independence in being able to edit their work effectively during and after the writing process and always set high aspirations. All teaching and learning will promote challenge and inclusion for all.

Writing Implementation

Writing at Greatfield Park is taught in units designed to cover a range of text-types divided into four specific purposes: to entertain, inform, persuade or discuss.

Key Stage 1 focus on two purposes- to entertain and inform.

Lower Key Stage 2 (Year 3 and Year 4) focus on three purposes- to entertain, inform and persuade.

Upper Key Stage 2 focus all four purposes- to entertain, inform, persuade and discuss.

This allows children to write for a range of meaningful purposes and audiences within a progressive range of text types.

The text-type progression within the purposes are as follows:

The Greatfield Park Approach to Writing

Each writing unit follows an agreed sequence of learning- ‘The Greatfield Park Approach to Writing’. The sequence is:

1. A ‘hook’ to hook the children into learning e.g. an exciting stimulus or artefact, a mystery letter, a film clip, an experience.  
2. A quality text is shared for the children to analyse and identify features, in order for children to collaboratively to create ‘Success Criteria’ for their written outcome.  
3. The teaching of English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (EGPS) lessons in order to teach the skills needed to achieve the Success Criteria identified during the previous phase.
4. The planning phase where children can use spoken language, word banks and planning frameworks to gather and organise their ideas and structure, prior to writing.
5. The writing phase where children can see modelled writing, take part in guided and shared writing opportunities, as well as independent writing. The success criteria and planning are referred to within this phase as a scaffold to support the children.
6. Throughout the writing phases, children are encouraged to proof-read and edit their work in order to check for errors and improve their writing.
7. Many units of work will end with publishing for an audience.  

Children are also given opportunities to write across the curriculum, applying the skills they have been taught in English lessons.

Teaching of EGPS and handwriting

EGPS lessons are taught within a unit of work and relate to the genre being taught. There are also opportunities outside of English lessons to revisit and consolidate these skills.  Handwriting is taught as a whole class, small group or individual intervention. This is then reinforced and practiced throughout the week in all writing.

Writing in the Early Years

In EYFS, the framework is structured very differently to the National Curriculum as it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas.  The statements from the 2020 Development Matters are prerequisite skills for Writing within the National Curriculum.  The most relevant statements for Writing are taken from the following areas of learning: Communication and Language, Literacy, Physical Development and Expressive Art and Design.

Writing Impact

Writing progress will be shown in:

• Attainment records
• Progress records
• Performance management targets
• Book looks

Assessment of writing is through internal and external moderations, tracking on our tracking system (Insight), book looks and termly independent writing activities.