Our Reading Approach

We base our approach on the understanding that reading is the gateway to learning and the acquisition of knowledge.

We follow the  ‘Essential Letters and Sounds’ Systematic synthetic phonics programme.

Well-attended phonics workshops are held for parents each year and children begin to learn to read using levelled books matched to each child given their current knowledge of phonics.

In order to encourage a strong reading culture, we also offer children access to ‘real’ books that they can borrow and read, or be read-to, at home. Phonics sessions are regular, fast-paced and multi-sensory. Attainment in the Phonics Screening Check is above the National and Local Authority average. In 2019, the most recent year when we had statutory assessments, 98% of children had passed the Phonics Screening Check by the end of Year 2.

Those children in Year 3 and above who have not mastered phonics continue to receive interventions and support from their class teachers, who have had phonics training. Our Dyslexia Specialist Teacher also supports children in small groups or one-to-one where barriers to reading are complex.

Teaching reading in KS1 and KS2

At Yerbury, time is made available every day for reading of some type, whether this be whole class, guided or independent. We believe that building a programme of sustained reading into the weekly timetable encourages the children’s love of reading, shows its value within the curriculum, and helps to improve reading stamina. Yerbury chooses to teach reading through a whole class approach in KS1 and KS2, (the advocated pedagogy in most current educational research.) We recognise the numerous positive experiences that whole class reading allows the individual child as a learner including (but not limited to): spending more time over the week reading with the teacher; benefiting from the teacher’s expert modelling, questioning and feedback; listening to texts and answering open questions to prompt discussions, ensuring that the focus on language development is taught in a way that is not restricted by poor decoding. Additionally, whole class reading allows struggling readers to access age appropriate texts, ensuring they are not restricted to texts with lower levels of language comprehension. Each class (from Year 2) teaches 2 whole class reading lessons a week- in these lessons there will typically be opportunities for the following: teaching vocabulary; reading modelled by the teacher; paired reading (allowing time for the children to read aloud); independent reading; group discussion and comprehension activities (group or independent). Each whole class reading lesson is planned with a focus on one or more of the reading domains to ensure rigorous coverage over the year. To support teachers new to the whole class reading approach, we use the CLPD Power of Reading programme. However, teachers are asked to use this as a tool with which to plan lessons, take book suggestions and improve their own understanding of whole class reading; we do not follow The Power of Reading as a scheme of work as we feel teachers need the autonomy to plan reading lessons which are responsive to their children’s needs, interests and preferences.

However, we also recognise that, for early and struggling readers, regular opportunities should be given to practise and develop their decoding skills, closely linked to their phonics progression, in order to develop reading independence. Therefore, all children in EYFS, Year 1, all children starting Year 2 and struggling readers in KS2 are given opportunities in the week for additional reading aloud time with the teacher, in a small group or one-to-one, focusing on targeted texts designed to improve their decoding and early comprehension skills. During these 20-30 minute sessions, the fluent decoders in the class are encouraged to enjoy their own books, taken from the library or book corners (see reading for pleasure below). These sessions are recorded in the teacher’s guided reading folder. Books that the children read for pleasure are recorded in each child’s reading journal and regularly checked by their teacher.

Guided Reading takes place regularly until children have become automatic readers and successful at comprehension. Once this is the case, focussed reading interventions take place with lower attaining readers. Children continue to have access to a number of high-quality texts across a range of genres that are updated regularly through the Islington Reading Road Map.

Extra support for reading

In addition to quality first teaching within the classroom, Yerbury supports its struggling readers with a range of targeted interventions:

• Classroom interventions – Struggling readers in the classroom receive regular, quick-paced and purposeful intervention during the week from the teacher of TA to help with their decoding and early comprehension. This often links to their work on phonics. All teachers regularly monitor and evaluate their interventions to see if they are having the desired effect on the children’s progress.
• Beanstalk readers – Our beanstalk readers are specially trained volunteers who specialise in helping struggling readers with their decoding skills. Our struggling readers with the highest level of need benefit from weekly or twice-weekly 1:1 sessions with these readers, lasting around 30 minutes.
• Volunteer readers – We have an enthusiastic group of volunteer readers from the parent community who also give their time to offer our struggling readers weekly or twice-weekly 1:1 reading sessions, lasting around 30 minutes, with texts chosen by the teacher, targeted at their level of decoding and comprehension.
• Literacy support teacher – We employ one teacher working in the role of literacy support for our struggling readers (in particular, those with diagnosed and undiagnosed dyslexia.) These children benefit from specialist teaching once or twice a week focused on their decoding and early comprehension. Both our teachers have a Level 7 qualification for literacy support, allowing them to assess for dyslexia within the school.
• Dyslexia Quality Mark – Yerbury is one of eleven mainstream schools in the UK with Dyslexia-Friendly School status. Good practice is embedded across the school to support all children. Classrooms are equipped with Literacy Toolkits that contain resources to support learning. Our Dyslexia Specialist Teacher supports children in small groups or one-to-one and staff have frequent training that helps us to continually improve.

Reading for pleasure

We work hard to create a culture of reading for pleasure amongst our children, developing not only their decoding and comprehension skills, but also their knowledge of different authors, reading preferences and independent book choices. By successfully carefully embedding opportunities for this across our curriculum, we hope to create enthusiastic, confident and motivated readers who enjoy reading. Some of our approaches include:

• Reading for pleasure sessions incorporated into the curriculum – All children are asked to have a book in school, (either from home, the library or book corners) and teachers make opportunities available throughout the week for children to independently enjoy these texts including (but not limited to): while other children are receiving small group reading, before assembly at the start of the day; during library sessions and during break and lunch. These texts are monitored by teachers and regularly discussed with the children, in order to ensure that the children are introduced to a wide selection of challenging, quality texts, and that the teacher learns about their children’s text preferences and experiences. By creating this discourse in the classroom around reading, we ensure that our children see reading as a valued, exciting activity.
• Book corners – Our teachers highly value their book corners, and ensure that they are well-stocked, with a range of authors and genres.
• Use of the library – We believe that the library should be a highly valued and intrinsic part of the school, and that its appearance and environment should reflect that. Therefore, money fundraised by the PTA has been granted in order to undergo a drastic remodelling of the library space in June 2021. The library is used as another source of high-quality texts for the children to choose from. Library lessons are used twice a month to introduce children to different authors or genres, and as another time in which the children and adults can discuss, recommend and share different texts.
• Book fairs – We welcome a twice-yearly book fair (Scholastic) to the school, which is available to parents and children in the playground after and before school. Children are given book tokens to help towards the cost of buying books, and some of the proceeds are used to ensure that our PP children can have a new book each from the fair.
• Story time – All year groups have a daily story time at 3.00. This can be the class reader (used for whole class reading lessons) or another text to enjoy separately.
• The Islington Reading Road Map – Every year KS1 and KS2 participate in The Reading Road Map run by Islington Education Authority – a reading challenge which aims to widen children’s knowledge of authors and quality texts across a range of genres. Every year, the texts are changed and teachers keep the set of books for their book corners. The texts are chosen to have a level of high engagement, in order to help encourage our more reluctant readers. The children are rewarded with certificates and stickers for completing different levels of the map, which are presented in assembly.
• Visiting authors and workshops – We try to invite an author, poet or reading workshop to the school at least yearly, in order for the children to experience another aspect of reading and learn from their expertise and enthusiasm.
• World Book Day – World Book Day is celebrated every year at Yerbury, and we mark the occasion by encouraging the children and staff to dress as their favourite literary character, as well as taking part in a range of reading-focused activities, designed to encourage reading for pleasure.

Yerbury Phonics Progression Map

Yerbury Reading Progression Overview KS1 & 2

Our Writing Approach

At Yerbury, we follow a six-part approach to structure of writing units of work, which ensures engagement, generation of ideas, teaching of new concepts, application of writing and purposeful outcomes. Step 5 ‘editing’ only applies to years 2-6, as editing does not feature on the National Curriculum for previous year groups. EYFS use some elements of the Yerbury approach e.g. Step 1 ‘The hook’ but exclude the steps that can only be achieved when writing for length.

1. The Hook – a creative stimulus to inspire children
2. Oracy & Planning – talk for writing and drama helps to develop children’s ideas and organise their thoughts.
3. Modelling – Exemplar texts, teaching of grammar in context, identification of audience, and the modelling of the writing process prepare children to be ready to write their own text.
4. Drafting – Children write their first draft. Feedback directs children to edit their work
5. Editing – revisions to the first draft are made. In KS2 children will learn to peer-assess effectively

Publishing – The final, edited draft is published. This helps to give purpose to earlier stages of our writing approach. These published works may be put on display, published in a book, or performed depending on the text-type.

Writing curriculum progression map 2022

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