Reading

We believe that reading is the key that unlocks lifelong learning and opportunity, and we are committed to ensuring that every child leaves Castle Primary School as a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader.

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and is valued across all subjects, as well as through the discrete teaching of reading. We aim to foster a genuine love of reading by exposing children to a rich variety of high-quality texts and creating an authentic reading culture where children choose to read, enjoy reading and see themselves as readers.

Intent

At Castle Primary School, we believe and expect that every child can become a successful reader. Our aim is for all children to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to read fluently, accurately and with understanding.

We strive to:

• Develop resilient, fluent and accurate readers who can access and engage with the full curriculum.
• Foster a lifelong love of reading through regular exposure to high-quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
• Equip children with the vocabulary, comprehension skills and reading strategies needed to make meaning from increasingly complex texts.
• Encourage children to broaden their reading experiences and develop personal reading preferences through a diverse range of authors, genres and text types.
• Create an authentic reading culture where reading is celebrated, valued and enjoyed by the whole school community.
• Ensure children understand the importance of reading as a tool for learning, communication, enjoyment and future success.
• Develop confident readers who can discuss, analyse and respond thoughtfully to what they read.

Through carefully planned progression from Reception to Year 6, children build the decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills necessary to become independent readers who read for both pleasure and purpose.

Implementation

Reading is an integral part of every child’s day at Castle Primary School.

Early Reading and Phonics 

In EYFS and Key Stage 1, children are taught through the Unlocking Letters and Sounds (UL&S) programme, which provides a systematic and rigorous approach to phonics teaching. Daily phonics lessons enable children to develop secure decoding skills, which form the foundation for successful reading.

Children participate in guided reading sessions linked to the phonics programme, allowing them to practise and apply their decoding, fluency and comprehension skills using texts matched to their current stage of development.

Whole-Class Reading 

As children progress through the school, reading teaching builds upon secure phonics knowledge and follows the CLF I am a reader. Whole-class guided reading sessions focus on developing fluency, vocabulary and comprehension through carefully selected, high-quality texts. Children are exposed to a broad range of literature that reflects different experiences, cultures and perspectives.

In Key Stage 2, children participate in two to three guided reading sessions each week, alongside a dedicated Fluency Friday session. In Key Stage 1, children participate in weekly whole-class reading sessions and additional guided reading sessions through UL&S.

Reading Lesson Structure 

Reading lessons follow a consistent structure to support children’s understanding and progression. This includes:

• Retrieval of previously taught vocabulary.
• Explicit teaching of up to six carefully selected Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words.
• Opportunities for all children to read during every lesson.
• Discussion of vocabulary through actions, images, definitions and contextual examples.
• Quick-thinking and deeper-thinking questions.
• Coverage of key comprehension domains, including a selection of retrieval, inference, prediction, explanation, sequencing and summarising skills in every lesson.
• Review and reinforcement of vocabulary at the end of each session.

Reading for Pleasure 

Developing a love of reading is central to our approach. Every class engages in a daily, systematic read-aloud programme which exposes children to high-quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry beyond their independent reading level.

We actively promote a strong reading culture through initiatives including:

• World Book Day celebrations
• Author studies and book weeks
• Reading Ambassadors
• Bakes for Books
• Reading hut
• Reading events and competitions

These opportunities encourage children to see reading as a pleasurable and valued part of everyday life.

Home Reading and Family Engagement 

Parents and carers play a vital role in supporting reading development. Children are encouraged to read regularly at home and are provided with reading materials appropriate to their stage of development.

To support families, we provide:

• UL&S workshops for Reception parents
• Reading guidance and support materials
• Recommended reading lists
• Information about local library initiatives and reading challenges
• Opportunities to celebrate reading through school events and Seesaw updates

Assessment and Monitoring 

Reading progress is assessed regularly to ensure all children receive the support and challenge they need.

This includes:

• UL&S phonics assessments
• Ongoing formative assessment during guided and shared reading sessions.
• Regular monitoring of fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
• Reading speed assessment (termly 6 x a year)
• Reading ages (3 times per year)
•  Reading rubric per child
• Identification and targeted support for children who are not yet meeting age-related expectations.

Subject leaders and senior leaders monitor the quality of reading provision through learning walks, book scrutiny, pupil discussions, planning reviews and assessment analysis to ensure consistently high standards across the school.

Impact

The impact of our reading curriculum is that children leave Castle Primary School as confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers who recognise the importance and enjoyment of reading.

Through our carefully planned and progressive approach, children:

• Read fluently, accurately and with increasing confidence.
• Apply effective decoding skills and strategies when encountering unfamiliar words.
• Demonstrate strong comprehension skills across a range of text types.
• Possess a broad and ambitious vocabulary that supports their understanding across the curriculum.
• Read with expression, prosody and understanding.
• Develop positive reading habits and choose to read independently for pleasure.
• Discuss texts thoughtfully, drawing on evidence to justify their opinions and interpretations.
• Show resilience when approaching challenging texts and unfamiliar vocabulary.
• Access the wider curriculum successfully through their reading ability.
• Leave primary school as competent, independent readers who are prepared for the next stage of their education.

The success of our reading curriculum is reflected through pupil voice, learning walks, book scrutiny, assessment outcomes and, most importantly, through the enjoyment and enthusiasm children demonstrate towards reading. Our pupils understand that reading opens doors to knowledge, opportunity and lifelong enjoyment, and they leave Castle Primary School equipped with the skills and passion to continue their reading journey.