We recognise that secure early reading is essential for pupils’ academic success, future opportunities, wellbeing and full participation in society. It is therefore central to our curriculum offer and prioritised as a strong foundation of children’s learning across the curriculum. Our curriculum is designed so that every pupil becomes a fluent, confident and motivated reader who read widely and with understanding.

Our approach is rooted in research and the Reading Framework. Our Reading Curriculum offer is designed in response to the the Simple View of Reading, the EEF Reading House, Chris Such’s Reading Map and the Scarborough Reading Rope, as well as supporting evidence. It ensures that word recognition (decoding), fluency and language comprehension are explicitly taught systematically and progressively from the moment children join school. We prioritise early reading so that pupils learn to read quickly and securely, enabling them to access the full curriculum as soon as possible.

Our aims are to:

• ensure all pupils learn to read accurately and fluently through a systematic synthetic phonics programme taught with fidelity.
• secure rapid progress for pupils at risk of falling behind through a keep-up, not catch-up model.
• provide precise, at-point-of-need assessment and swift intervention so that gaps are addressed immediately.
• ensure that pupils who join the school mid-phase are assessed quickly and supported effectively.
• develop fluent readers who can access whole-class reading in Key Stage 2 and reading across the curriculum.
• explicitly teach reading fluency and prosody as pupils move beyond early decoding.
• build strong language comprehension through rich, ambitious texts and structured discussion.
• promote reading for pleasure through daily story time, book talk and a highly visible reading culture.
• develop pupils’ vocabulary systematically across the curriculum.
• ensure all staff are expert teachers of reading through high-quality, ongoing professional development.
• foster strong home–school partnerships to support reading practice.
• ensure pupils encounter a wide, diverse and culturally rich range of texts.
• create a community where reading is valued, celebrated and chosen voluntarily by pupils

Early Reading and Phonics

Early reading is taught through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme, which is delivered with fidelity from the start of Reception.

The Teaching of Early Reading at Fowey includes:

• daily, structured phonics teaching in EYFS and KS1 from day one of reception.
• regular and responsive assessment (every two weeks in early Reception, then at least half-termly for all and at-point-of-need where required) to ensure pupils are taught at the correct stage.
• flexible grouping based on secure assessment information.
• fully decodable books matched precisely to the sounds pupils know and practised in school before being sent home.
• immediate support for pupils who fall behind through targeted keep-up tutoring sessions.
• continued phonics teaching in KS2 for pupils who require it.
• phonological awareness interventions deployed where assessment identifies need

All pupils are explicitly taught to decode using phonics exclusively and are not encouraged to guess words from pictures, in line with national guidance.

Developing Fluency

Fluency is taught as a critical bridge between decoding and comprehension.

At Fowey:

• fluency develops systematically through the RWI programme at the later stages of phonic instruction and then through RWI comprehension.
• explicit fluency strategies are taught particularly in Years 2 and 3 and built upon thereafter.
• targeted fluency interventions are provided in KS2 for pupils who need additional practice.
• whole-class reading units include a specific focus on automaticity and prosody in the first week of each two week unit of learning.

This ensures pupils read with increasing accuracy, speed and expression.

Explicit Teaching of Comprehension

Language comprehension is developed through structured, research-informed practice across the school.

In EYFS and KS1:

• high-quality texts are shared and discussed daily.
• pupils are given opportunities to comprehend and discuss story through daily story time, book talk and a story-enriched curriculum provision.
• Adults used targeted question and discussion of new vocabulary across the curriculum.

In KS2, pupils who are fluent decoders take part in daily whole-class reading lessons informed by evidence-based approaches including:

• • Primary Reading Simplified (Chris Such)
  • Just Read (Sussex University)
  • HFL Fluency Project (Tim Rasinski)
• reading is taught through:
  • one terms focus on novel-based units using the Just Read approach
  • two terms focus on the Comprehension Crushers sequence for structured comprehension development which includes comprehension strategy instruction, pre-teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary, opportunities to develop automaticity and use repeated/echo reading to develop fluency skills and opportunities to summarise and answer comprehension questions about a text.
• teachers use an I do – We do – You do model to develop pupils’ independence in written responses

Reading for Pleasure and Reading Culture

Developing lifelong readers is central to our provision.

We achieve this through:

• daily story time across the school
• a carefully mapped reading for pleasure spine
• weekly book talk using UKLA discussion prompts
• highly visible staff reading role models through Fowey Loves Reading displays
• regular author visits and participation in the St Austell Literature Festival
• a well-stocked, regularly refreshed library with inclusion of high interest- low ability books and books with diverse themes and experiences
• pupil recommendation systems within the library
• opportunities for pupils to discuss preferences and recommend books

Leadership, Expertise and Professional Development

Reading is a whole-school priority.

• The reading and phonics leads monitor quality and impact closely.
• All staff receive regular, high-quality CPD in early reading and comprehension.
• New staff receive rapid induction to the school’s phonics and reading approach.
• Provision for early readers in KS2 is carefully coordinated and monitored.
• Leaders ensure fidelity to the chosen SSP programme.

Assessment and Responsive Provision

Assessment is precise, frequent and used to drive teaching.

We use:

• regular (half-termly and at-point-of-need) RWI assessments to ensure correct grouping.
• ongoing teacher assessment termly after RWI using PIRA, teacher assessment and Star Readers tests.
• diagnostic checks for phonological awareness and fluency (using YARC) where needed.
• targeted intervention matched closely to need (RWI tutoring, phonological awareness or fluency).
• careful monitoring of pupils who require additional support.

This ensures pupils keep up rather than catch up, in line with national expectations.

The impact of our reading curriculum is seen in pupils who:

• learn to read accurately and fluently at an early stage. Last year 92% of learners achieved the PSC in Year 1, above national averages.
• keep up with the phonics programme and complete it successfully.
• transition confidently to whole-class reading in KS2. Currently (Spring 26) 97% of learners in KS2 have completed RWI and are accessing whole-class reading.
• read with increasing fluency, stamina and prosody.
• demonstrate secure understanding of increasingly complex texts.
• use and understand a broad and ambitious vocabulary.
• talk confidently about books, authors and genres.
• choose to read independently and for pleasure.
• are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• achieve the expected standard in Reading at the end of KS2. Last year 84% of learners achieved expected in Reading (compared to 75% nationally) with 47% achieving at the higher standard (compared to 33% nationally).

Leaders evaluate impact through:

• half-termly analysis of phonic assessment data.
• termly analysis of reading ages and reading outcomes for readers who have progressed beyond phonics.  
• monitoring of fluency and comprehension progress during pupil progress meetings and learning walks by senior leaders, the reading leads and SENDco.
• pupil voice and engagement in reading.
• learning walks and coaching.
• review of intervention effectiveness.
• scrutiny of teaching and fidelity to the SSP programme through a RWI coaching programme and termly RWI development days with a regional rep.
• statutory assessment outcomes in phonics and reading.

This continuous evaluation ensures that reading remains a strength of the school and that all pupils are supported to become successful, lifelong readers.