“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

Frederick Douglass

Intent

We aim to develop the children, staff and parents as reading experts to ensure every child at The Cambridge develops a love of reading. They learn to read skilfully and learn to read as quickly as possible.

The reading experts at The Cambridge Primary School have a shared understanding that reading is an essential skill for everyone. Reading is for enjoyment and for learning. We strive to create a reading culture where reading is prioritised and at the heart of everything we do. A whole school approach that combines both reading pleasure and achievement for all.

At the Cambridge Primary School, we intend:

• for every child to be a reader
• for early readers to have the skills to decode words, so they can read fluently as quickly as possible
• for children to understand what they have read
• for children to respond with curiosity about what they and others have read
• for children to become enthusiastic and motivated to read for pleasure
• to develop children’s confidence in reading a wide variety of genres and text types
• to develop children’s knowledge of a wide range of authors and illustrators

Implementation

When are children taught to read, practise their reading skills and develop reading for pleasure?

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• Daily phonics lessons in Lower School - we follow the 'Little Wandle Letters and Sounds' Programme because it is a systematic, synthetic approach, which is recommended as the most effective way for children to learn to read. Phonics learning is revisited throughout the day and connected to all curriculum areas, with the aim for all children to make rapid progress, so they become fluent readers as quickly as possible. During lessons, children are identified to participate in daily 'keep up' sessions for extra practise.
• 1:1 reading with adults - Identified children read their Phonic Reader or fluency book that is decodable and matched to their secure phonic knowledge or level of fluency. This ensures they decode using their phonic knowledge and not by any other strategy, in addition to developing fluency. 
• Reading Practice Sessions - children in Reception and Year 1, read in small groups, 3 times a week. They read the same book in each session with a specific focus on the skills of decoding, prosody and comprehension. The book is decodable and matched to their secure phonic knowledge. The same book is read at home throughout the week.
• Guided Reading - children in upper school are taught as a class. The lessons are planned to explicitly teach the comprehension requirements of the National Curriculum using rich fiction, non-fiction, poetry and sometimes film clips for inspiration. Aspects of comprehension studied include sequencing, retrieval, vocabulary, explanation, prediction and inference.
• Home learning - parents are expected to hear their child read at least three times a week even when they are fluent readers. There is guidance for parents in the Reading Records and weekly letters. Parents are encouraged to record all reading experiences in the Reading Record which are counted towards house points.
• English lessons - planning is linked to reading where appropriate, inspired and supported by high quality, engaging and relevant texts. Stories form the basis for weekly continuous provision in Reception and an English teaching sequence in Key Stage 1 and 2; leading to daily discussion about the text.
• A range of regular events to engage pupils with the joy and wonder of a wide range of text types, so they are confident, enthused and motivated to read for pleasure. 

What books do children read, listen to and study?

• Phonics Readers - these are fully decodable books from a range of reading schemes to introduce a wide variety of literature. They are organised in groups (book boxes) that match the teaching sequence of the 'Little Wandle Letters and Sounds' programme. They are matched to a child's secure phonic knowledge, with the aim they can be read with 90% accuracy. This ensures children are reading with good fluency, comprehension and decode the words by sounding out and blending, and not by using any other strategy (e.g. the pictures). A child will keep their ‘Phonics Reader’ for a week with the intention of reading it daily to develop fluency and pace as recommended in the National Curriculum.
• Fluency Books - Once children have completed the phonics programme, they are assessed and assigned fluency books. The children keep this book for a week and read it in school and at home. 
• The Cambridge Reading Spine - we are developing a reading spine which consists of books from a range of genres and authors, that we believe the children should be exposed to during their time at The Cambridge. 

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How do children progress through the reading system?

To move to the next book level, children must be able to blend words and recognise high-frequency words within their phonic phase. The child should be reading with good fluency and decode with 90-95% accuracy. They should be able to retell the main points they have read and answer simple literal retrieval questions. This is based on teacher judgement and supported by ongoing assessment.

How do we assess reading?

We build a picture of a child’s reading behaviours, including their views on reading, by gathering evidence from:

• Phonics, reading practice sessions and guided reading lessons
• 1:1 reading
• Reading Comprehension Assessment papers

Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development in Reading

Spiritual: Pupils develop imagination, curiosity and empathy through reading a wide range of high-quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They reflect on the thoughts, feelings and experiences of characters, exploring themes that encourage them to consider their own beliefs, values and understanding of the world.
Moral: Children explore moral questions through literature, considering the choices and actions of characters in texts such as Private Peaceful and Shakespeare adaptations. They learn to understand different perspectives, discuss ethical issues and develop reasoned opinions while reflecting on the school values of determination, respect, responsibility and kindness.
Social: Reading lessons encourage discussion, collaboration and the sharing of ideas through whole-class, group and paired activities. Pupils learn to listen respectfully to the opinions of others, justify their own interpretations and develop confidence in expressing their views about a range of texts.
Cultural: Our curriculum celebrates a rich variety of authors, genres and traditions, including British and international writers. Pupils explore texts from different cultures, time periods and viewpoints, developing an appreciation of the diversity of literature and the experiences of people from around the world.