Early Reading and Phonics at Fiddlers Lane Primary School

At Fiddlers Lane Primary School, we believe that learning to read is the single most important skill children will acquire in their early education. Our aim is that every child becomes a fluent, confident reader, ready for high school and equipped to access the wider curriculum and the world beyond.

In line with the DfE Reading Framework, reading is given the highest priority across the school. High‑quality, systematic teaching of early reading ensures all children are supported to make rapid and sustained progress. Reading is central to our curriculum, reflected through protected reading time, carefully structured lessons and a strong culture of enjoyment and engagement with books.

Early Reading Vision Statement

At Fiddlers Lane Community Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils learn to read quickly and effectively, particularly during the crucial early years of learning. We believe that success in reading underpins achievement across the curriculum and has a lasting impact on children’s life chances.

To achieve this, we follow the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme, a validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) scheme that is fully aligned with the DfE Reading Framework. Through daily, structured phonics lessons, children are taught to decode words rapidly and accurately, enabling them to read with increasing fluency and confidence.

Phonics teaching is complemented by regular opportunities for children to:

• Listen to high‑quality texts read aloud by adults
• Develop vocabulary, comprehension and language skills
• Experience a wide range of stories, poems and non‑fiction
• Foster a genuine love of reading for pleasure

Our Approach to Phonics – Read Write Inc.

From the start of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children begin a rigorous and systematic phonics journey through the Read Write Inc. programme. Teaching follows a clearly structured progression, ensuring no learning is left to chance.

In line with DfE guidance, phonics is:

• Taught daily
• Consistent and sequential
• Closely matched to fully decodable reading books
• Carefully assessed to identify pupils who may need additional support

Children who need extra help are quickly identified and receive targeted ‘keep up, catch up’ interventions so that no child falls behind.

Ensuring Fluency and Comprehension

As children move through the school, reading instruction continues to focus on:

• Accuracy and automaticity in decoding
• Fluency, including pace and expression
• Comprehension, vocabulary and language development

Whole‑class reading sessions and independent reading opportunities enable pupils to apply their phonics knowledge while developing deeper understanding of texts. This ensures children can read confidently across all subjects, not just in English lessons.

Consistency Across the School

We are committed to providing a consistent, school‑wide approach to early reading. High‑quality phonics teaching is embedded across:

• Early Years Foundation Stage
• Key Stage One
• Key Stage Two (for pupils who continue to require phonics support)

All staff receive regular training to maintain fidelity to the Read Write Inc. programme and to ensure teaching remains effective, engaging and responsive to pupils’ needs.

Our Aims for Early Reading and Phonics

At Fiddlers Lane Primary School, our phonics provision aims to:

• Develop strong listening skills, aural discrimination and phonemic awareness
• Teach children to blend and segment sounds confidently for reading and spelling
• Ensure children learn the 44 phonemes of the English language
• Teach children to recognise graphemes and link them accurately to phonemes
• Support secure reading of common exception (‘tricky’) words
• Enable children to apply phonics skills across the wider curriculum
• Make phonics lessons engaging, interactive and inclusive
• Build confident readers who enjoy reading and read widely

By the end of primary school, we aim for all pupils at Fiddlers Lane Primary School to be fluent, confident readers who use reading as a gateway to learning, imagination and lifelong success.

Developing a Love of Reading

Promoting a love of reading is central to our vision. Our classrooms and library are filled with high‑quality texts that reflect diverse experiences, spark curiosity and inspire imagination. Children enjoy daily story time, regular book recommendations and opportunities to explore new authors and genres. By nurturing both skills and passion, we aim to equip all our pupils to be thoughtful, motivated readers for life.