Intent

Children at Stokenchurch Primary School will experience a rich and diverse range of literature, representing different authors, illustrators, genres and forms from different times, places and perspectives.  Through high quality, engaging and well-chosen texts, our children will explore a variety of ethnic, social and cultural contexts, building awareness of the world that they live in and enabling them to both see themselves reflected in what they read and to gain a greater understanding of others’ lives vicariously.  Through a diet that encompasses fiction, non-fiction and poetry in both whole books and extracts, our children will meet the challenge of the written word with stamina, curiosity and confidence, utilising a growing range of resources to overcome any obstacles.  It is our intention that our children will relish reading and choose to read independently.

Implementation

At Stokenchurch Primary, no ceilings are placed on what pupils can achieve in reading and there are no pre-conceptions about any pupil’s ability to make progress. We intend for all our children to read accurately and fluently with appropriate expression and to develop secure comprehension skills.  We believe that every child is a reader and are explicit about the power of reading to act as a social-leveller.  We engage regularly with our school community to celebrate reading and to promote reading for pleasure; understanding, valuing and promoting parental influence.  

At Stokenchuch, our children learn phonics and spelling from nursery onwards whilst being immersed in an extensive range of situations that involve reading for meaning using the DfE recognised Twinkl Phonics scheme.

As children become more competent in phonic awareness and understanding, lessons concentrate on the ability to read, interpret and infer information from what is being read.  Lessons allow for comparisons to be made, differences to be identified and discussions to be held about authorial, personal and factual choices. Reading is supported through modelled and shared pieces that children are able to re-visit. 

Impact

Reading and writing are inextricably linked throughout our curriculum.  Children are exposed to texts using a variety of media, building their awareness of the impact that the written word can have.

Our children enjoy regular read aloud sessions and choose books to read themselves from a wide range on offer within class collections or the extensive school library. Reading buddies work across phases to promote a love of reading and engage our children on all levels.