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Phonics

Phonics – Intent, Implementation, Impact  

 

‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.’ Dr Seuss  

At North Petherton Community Primary School we believe reading is a gateway skill that makes all other learning possible & phonics is crucial to unlocking the reading code.

 

This document has been put together using the EEF Implementation Guidance Report 

This curriculum is designed for Phonics sessions across the school. This does not include how we teach phonics (please see separate document). Guided reading is taught every day, to the whole class.  The DfE Reading Report (2023) and OFSTED’s English Research report have supported us to shape our curriculum.  

 

Why?

Our curriculum is based on the principles that Reading comprehension = language comprehension x decoding.

Decoding included phonics and fluency. Language comprehension includes situation models, comprehension monitoring, inference, text structure, vocabulary and background knowledge.

 

Ensuring a systematic and comprehensive approach to phonics instruction is crucial in our educational mission. Phonics, as a cornerstone of early literacy, empowers students with the fundamental skills needed to decode words and unlock the world of reading. By integrating evidence-based practices and the latest research on language acquisition, our synthetic and systematic phonics program equips students with the tools to become proficient readers. It promotes fluency, enhances comprehension, and cultivates a lifelong love for reading. A structured and consistent phonics curriculum not only builds a strong foundation in early reading but also lays the path for academic excellence, critical thinking, and a brighter future for our students.

Intent – We aim to..

At North Petherton Community Primary School, we recognise that phonics is the key to unlocking the world of reading for our young learners. Phonics forms the foundation of their literacy journey, enabling them to decode words, comprehend texts, and embark on a lifelong adventure through literature. Our phonics program is designed with a clear purpose: to instil a strong phonemic awareness, cultivate proficient readers, and ignite a passion for language. By employing evidence-based practices and tailored interventions, we equip our students with the skills and knowledge needed to become confident, independent readers. With phonics as our compass, we guide our students towards a future enriched with literacy, critical thinking, and the boundless joys of reading.

Our Goals and Objectives:

- Deliver daily phonics through a high-quality phonics programme and consistently implement it to equip children with the skills they need to decode and become fluent readers.

- Provide children with books that are closely matched to their phonic abilities so they can be successful when practising.

- Support children in catching up quickly by making ongoing assessments and targeting intervention.

- Ensure the highest number of children possible pass the phonics screening check, with expectations that are aspirational yet achievable.

Implementation – How do we plan to achieve our aims? 

We believe that learning to read is key to academic success, and this is supported by research by the EEF (Education Endowment Foundation). Phonics teaching is recognised as an important component in the development of early reading skills, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The EEF considers phonics to be one of the most secure, and best-evidenced areas of pedagogy. Studies have shown that an effective SSP programme has a positive overall impact (+5 months). Our reading curriculum ensures children have opportunities to: Read for Practice, Read for Meaning and Read for Pleasure. High quality phonics teaching provides children with skills to learn how to read (reading for practice), which enhances reading for meaning and makes reading more pleasurable. Therefore, phonics is a vital part of our curriculum as it is the building block on which our reading curriculum is based on.

 

-A synthetic systematic approach - To allow our children to develop a strong phonic awareness and effective blending and decoding skills, we have chosen to use a DfE validated synthetic phonics programme called Essential Letters and Sounds. The programme is a systematic, synthetic approach to teaching phonics, with clear expectations that are laid out term by term from Reception to Year 1.

-Access to phonically matched books- Integrated into the programme are high-quality reading books published by ELS that match to each grapheme the children learn; this ensures that children apply their phonetic knowledge in context through writing and the use of high-quality reading texts. Children read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words

Rigorous assessment – Children in EYFS and Year 1 are assessed continuously using ‘Phonics Tracker’ to allow children to keep up. Children in Year 2 – Year 6 are assessed on their phonological awareness termly,

 

Support to catch up (Year 2-Year 6) - Although we expect that most children will have successfully completed the Phonics programme by the end of year 1, we recognise that some children may benefit from further instruction, and we will ensure that high-quality Phonics provision is in place for:

 Þ Children who did not pass the Year 1/2 Phonics screening check

. Þ Children who are new to the country and have no previous experience of English.

 Þ Children with SEND who are struggling with decoding. These interventions will look different for different children.

In Years 2-6 you may see:

: Þ 1:1 Precision Teaching sessions.

 Þ 1:1 intervention focused on blending and segmenting.

 Þ Small group interventions focused on teaching graphemes/blending and segmenting.

Þ Fluency practice through repetition of texts.

 

Rigorous practice- In EYFS and Year 1 phonics lessons, you will see:

-Phonics is taught daily and has a regular slot on all class timetables.

-Phonics is taught in whole class sessions led by the teacher, who explicitly models strategies & skills.

-All teachers have access to high-quality planning and resources.

-All lessons follow a consistent structure.

-The same visual representations & mnemonics are used by all teachers.

-Children work independently, with peers or in guided groups.

-Children are encouraged to apply their phonic knowledge in other curriculum areas.

-Children have access to phonetically decodable books that match what they are currently learning in school to read at home.

-Teachers ensure that all children make progress using precision teaching and targeted intervention groups.

In these lessons, teachers are will:

-be clear about objectives for any session and make sure that the children understand them (e.g. ‘By the end of this week you will all be able to read these sounds; today we are learning the first one.’)

-expect all children to participate throughout phonics sessions, for example by using ‘call and response’.

 - make the most of the time for teaching and use activities that maximise the number of words children read and spell

 - make sure that children practice using the knowledge they have been taught in previous lessons until they can use it automatically, thus freeing up their capacity to learn new knowledge

 - support the children to connect the new knowledge with their previous learning

- demonstrate new learning in bite-sized chunks

 - ensure children are given opportunities to apply what they have learned

 - praise the children for working hard and paying attention, being specific about what they have done well

 - use assessment to determine next steps clearly, including identifying children who might need immediate extra support

-As soon as children start school, they will be read to.

-Ensuring phonics is a priority.

-Daily rhyme, poetry and signing sessions in EYFS and Year 1.

Children are assessed at the end of Year 1 using a Government Statutory Assessment Tool known as the Phonics Screening Check. This screening check confirms whether a child has learned phonic decoding to an appropriate standard and will identify sounds needing further support in Year 2. Children are assessed by an adult who is familiar to them. Those who do not pass will continue their phonics lessons in Year 2. This allows for them to consolidate and develop their confidence, within a group aimed at their specific ability, ready to retake the screening at the end of Year 2.

 

Impact – How will we know we have achieved this?

-Children can decode, segment, and blend confidently and by the end of Year 1 are ready to move from learning to read to reading to learn.

-Children feel successful in reading and are more willing to read because books are matched to their needs.

-By implementing high-quality intervention effectively and promptly, most children become fluent confident readers by the end of KS1.

-A high number of children pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

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