Reading intent  

At Ruskington Chestnut Street Church of England Primary Academy, the teaching of reading is a key driver and at the very core of our curriculum. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education. 

It is our intention that over their 8 year journey at Chestnut Street, children are read to, enjoy discuss and work with a selection of core books.   

Each year group are immersed in a wide range of text types and diverse themes.  They are inspired by a range of authors and poets and exposed to a balance of new and classis literature, creating a living library inside the child’s minds which will give them a good grounding for independent reading in the future.  Books which create mirrors and windows that reflect the realities of the children in our classrooms and beyond.  This is the Chestnut Street ‘Reading Spine’.   

We therefore intend to encourage all pupils to read widely across both fiction (including poetry and playscripts) and non-fiction so all children are exposed to a variety of literature, genres and authors 

to: 

• Develop knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live; 

• to establish an appreciation and love of reading; 

• to gain knowledge across the curriculum, and 

• to develop their comprehension skills. 

• develop the self-awareness to understand the kind of reader they are. 

We are committed to providing a broad and diverse range of texts and books from across the curriculum which are rich in vocabulary.  The sharing of stories is central to our provision throughout the school so children enjoy both reading and being read to as part of our daily timetable. 

Reading implementation 

The systematic teaching of phonics is of the highest priority throughout Reception and Key Stage 1. At this school we use a synthetic phonics programme called ‘Read Write Inc’ produced by Ruth Miskin.  Our staff teach learners the relationship between sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them.  All children in Reception, KS1 and, where necessary, KS2 have daily phonics sessions in small ability groups where they participate in speaking, listening, spelling, reading and writing activities which are matched to their current needs.  We have an agreed progression for the teaching of new sounds and use a variety of schemes and resources to support this. The teachers draw upon observations, continuous and summative assessment to ensure children are stretched and challenged to identify children who may need additional support. Timely intervention is planned for those children who are working below expected levels as soon as their needs are identified, we want all children to be able to keep up and not have to catch up.  We recognise that systematic, high quality phonics teaching is essential, but additional skills and opportunities are needed for children to achieve the goal of being a well-rounded reader, namely comprehension.    With our youngest children in the Pre-School class, there is a daily planned activity to develop vital speaking and listening skills and phonological awareness.  Throughout the day back and forth conversations and sharing of stories and rhymes are used to develop individual children's attention, understanding and spoken language with a strong emphasis on extending vocabulary.  

Throughout the day back and forth conversations and sharing of stories and rhymes are used to develop individual children's attention, understanding and spoken language with a strong emphasis on extending vocabulary.  

During the Summer term in Year 1, pupils undertake a Phonics Screening Test which assesses their ability to apply what they have learnt. After this, lessons move towards whole class reading lessons that take the same format as Year 2 to 6. Pupils who do not pass their Phonics Screening Test continue to have intervention to support the acquisition of these key skills and are retested in the Summer term in Year 2. 

When children have completed the Read, Write, Inc phonics programme, reading is developed using the James Durran approach to reading, which places purposeful and meaningful reading at the heart of the curriculum, encouraging children to engage deeply with texts.  Children read and enjoy high quality fiction, non-fiction texts and poetry, which (where possible) are linked to their subjects across the curriculum.  All children read aloud during daily phonics or class reading lessons; in addition to this they read aloud in lessons throughout the day. 

In order to develop our all pupils reading fluency we explicitly teach 'Expression, Automaticity, Rhythm & Phrasing, and Smoothness otherwise known as 'EARS'. EARS is fundamental to guiding our instruction of reading fluency, helping teachers ensure every child not only reads accurately but with confidence, flow, and engagement. By explicitly teaching these components, we empower children to read with understanding and bring texts to life, setting them on a path to becoming skilled, fluent readers which will also support their reading comprehension.

We recognise the importance of developing a rich and extensive bank of vocabulary; therefore, we discreetly teach vocabulary directly linked to the text during every phonics and guided reading session. This is reinforced daily during sessions, ensuring new vocabulary is embedded. 

We have carefully planned books and texts across the school to inspire and challenge children, offering opportunities to explore diverse authors, classic and contemporary literature, and works that address cultural and social themes. This ensures our pupils gain a rich literary heritage while building cultural capital and an awareness of the world around them.

High expectations are set to develop pupils' stamina for reading extended texts and to foster their ability to read critically and analytically. By embedding key texts into our English curriculum, we provide opportunities for immersive learning that unlocks imagination, creativity, and confidence, helping children read as writers and write as readers.

All classes are exposed to a class reading for pleasure book, to excite and engage the children, and to expose them to new and varied vocabulary. 

Reading at home is encouraged and promoted through class incentives and parental engagement sessions. Children working on the Read Write Inc. programme take home a ‘book bag book’ matched directly to their current phonics level; they are also encouraged to choose an additional reading for pleasure book to share with their family at home.  

Ultimately, our reading curriculum seeks to inspire a lifelong love of reading, fostering creativity and ambition while opening doors to exciting opportunities both within and beyond school. Through careful sequencing, purposeful teaching, and expert fluency instruction with EARS, we aim to give every child the tools to explore new worlds and unlock their full potential.

Reading impact 

Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent and confident word readers by the end of Key Stage1.  As a Year 6 reader, transitioning into secondary school, we aspire that children are fluent, confident and able readers, who can access a range of texts for pleasure and enjoyment, as well as use their reading skills to unlock learning and all areas of the curriculum.  We firmly believe that reading is the key to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments.