What does reading look like in classrooms?

Reading is taught consistently at Mapplewells. Phonics lessons are taught daily in all EYFS and KS1 classes. These lessons last up to 30 minutes. As a school, we currently follow the Letters and Sounds programme. We are working with the Flying High English Hub to explore the use of other validated phonics programmes, most notably the No Nonsense Phonics Programme and this has formed part of our School Improvement Plan. Work continues to be carried out with the English Hub alongside other Flying High Trust Schools to collaborate and see the programme in action within local schools.

Through the use of class timetables, it is evident when and how the teaching of reading skills and guided reading are delivered in each year group. Daily story time sessions take place to develop a love of reading, daily Phonics/Reading sessions are delivered as well as the consolidation of skills in both English and Curriculum sessions.

Outdoor provision also promotes reading. Fiction and Non Fiction Book sheds have been installed for children to access during play and lunchtimes to promote a love of reading. Each year group are given allocated times to use both areas. There is also an established Book Exchange to use at the beginning and the end of the school day prioritised for families in order to promote reading at home.

As mentioned, individual reading books are carefully matched to their phonics ability which is based on reading assessments carried out half termly. This ensures every child has a reading book that they can read at least 90% independently, promoting confidence and enabling children to blend and become fluent readers at the earliest opportunity.  

The assessment of reading is carried out in EYFS and KS1 each half term and termly in KS2. In EYFS and KS1, Collins Big Cat assessments enable staff to see each child’s gaps in phonics knowledge, ensuring that interventions are then put in place to ensure that every child has the appropriate knowledge. The expectation is that by the end of their time in F1, children are with all aspects of Phase 1 phonics and have some knowledge of Phase 2 phonemes. By the end of their time in F2, children have secure knowledge of Phase 2 and 3 phonics, with some knowledge of Phase 4. By the end of Year 1, children are secure with Phases 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with the ambition that all children will pass their Y1 Phonics Screening check. Carefully tailored intervention is put in place to support all children in achieving our ambition. Additional intervention for any child who doesn’t pass, to support them with the Y2 Phonics re-test.

Once a child is confident with Phases 1-5 in the Letters and Sounds programme, children are then assessed using PM benchmarking. This allows the child’s comprehension and understanding skills to be assessed alongside their fluency of reading. These assessments then inform the teacher on the gaps in knowledge and where the teaching needs to go next, as well as what ‘book band’ the child should be reading from.  

Each term, Rising Stars reading assessments are completed for children in year groups 1-6 as well as the individual reading assessments. These incorporate a range of different texts and question types to assess the level in which the children are working. Gap Analysis then informs Quality First Teaching as well as provision mapping / interventions for the subsequent term.