Pupil Voice

I read because…

‘It takes me into another world.’ – Oya Y3

‘I can learn more interesting facts and learn more.’ – Archie Y3

‘I like to view the world from different perspectives.’ Mihika Y5

‘I get to know more vocabulary and it increases my imagination.’ – Uzair Y6

Intent 

Reading is the gateway to the curriculum. Our reading curriculum is designed and pitched with high expectations, equity and inclusion at its core. We aim to provide a broad, balanced, ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum that goes beyond that expected by the National Curriculum. We do this by providing access to a wide variety of texts across the school and opportunities for book talk.

We prioritise reading and vocabulary acquisition. The importance of reading cannot be underestimated and we have a clear, shared vision here at Collis about the importance of reading for our pupils and school community. Evidence suggests that there is a positive relationship between reading frequency, reading enjoyment and attainment (Clark 2011; Clark and Douglas 2011).

Our fundamental principles are:

- promoting a love of reading;

- rooting teaching and learning in quality texts;

- using a well-structured reading progression;

- teaching a successful programme of systematic synthetic phonics (Essential Letters and Sounds)

- Teaching a phonics and reading curriculum with inclusion at its core to enable all pupils to become successful readers. This includes consistent and well-designed interventions to close the gap;

- the importance of exploring the diversity of British society and the acceptance of difference to  increase cultural capital.

Implementation

Pleasure for Reading and Access High Quality Texts:

We know that books and reading “feed pupils’ imagination and open up a treasure house of wonder and joy for curious young minds” (National Curriculum 2014).  In every class, children take part in a range of other reading-related activities. We understand the link between talk, language acquisition and reading. We have two well stocked libraries which children visit as a class and during lunch times to make a free choice of age appropriate texts. Within these sessions there is time for recommendations and book talk as well as time to pick up a book and read for enjoyment.

In the classroom, there is a book corner with a rotating selection of books from the year groups literature lists. This include books from a range of focus authors, illustrators and poets which we commit to exposing our pupils to during their time at Collis.  The books model topics ranging from disability and neurodiversity; homophobia and difference; gender diversity and equality; different family structures and relationships; appropriate BAME, class and multi-cultural representations; issues around environmentalism and nature; mental health, bereavement and emotions; religious and other PSHE themes; and topic-based texts.

Reading Progression

Our well-structured reading progression with defined end-points supports teacher planning, assessment and interventions. Teachers understand pupils’ prior knowledge (e.g. of vocabulary or their reading skills and strategies) and pupils’ next steps. Teachers build connections when planning and revisit the key reading skills which allow pupils to achieve greater levels of comprehension. We plan backwards from end points in reading and writing to ensure a coherent progression of learning.  Each year group has the opportunity to co-plan and co- teach units of work with our English lead teachers. In addition, all classes have a reading overview that allows us to plan and monitor the progression in texts, reading skills and vocabulary across the year.

Phonics

We teach successful programme of systematic synthetic phonics – Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS). As a precursor to our phonics programme, in Nursey we model phase 1 phonics and provide opportunities to engage within the learning environment across the school day. Starting on the first day of Reception, our programme of systematic synthetic phonics begins teaching all children to become fluent and successful readers. The programme continues throughout Year 1. Pupils who have not yet ‘cracked the code’ continue to receive phonics interventions throughout the school. Staff model segmenting and blending and they have good subject knowledge and pedagogical understanding (developed through inset training, modelling, team teaching, coaching and observations).

Guided reading

Guided reading in Reception and Year 1 is part of the ELS programme and gives children the opportunity to use a fully decodable text to apply their phonics knowledge. At the end of the ELS programme children move on to guided levelled groups. Each week there will be an assessment focus. This will be taught in small groups led by an adult and through independent, paired or group activities to secure the learning.

Whole class

Whole class reading starts alongside guided reading in Year 2 upwards to build in opportunities for mixed ability book talk and high-quality discussions around a text. By Year 5 and 6 children will be solely taught as a whole class. We continue to build on the progression of skills through mixed ability, high quality and age appropriate texts.  

Story time and story skills

Reception Story Skills

Year 1 Story Skills

Literature is the most powerful medium through which children have a chance to inhabit the lives of those who are like them as well as opening doors to other children’s lives. We have chosen a diverse core set of books for each year group. These texts are either explicitly taught within the curriculum, or enjoyed through class story time.

Story time in early years is focussed around building story skills including introducing vocabulary, engaging with the text and thinking of ideas. As children move into KS1, these skills are develop into asking questions, looking for clues and making links. These story skills are directly linked to the reading domains, however reading for pleasure and listening to stories is at the heart of our curriculum. 

Our literature lists are structured around focus authors, illustrators and poets as well as key texts linked to our foundation subjects.

Focus authors

Culture Capital

These chosen authors demonstrate one of our fundamental principles – the value of diversity in our British society and the importance of exploring with our pupils here in Teddington religious, ethnic, linguistic diversity, gender equality and the acceptance of difference.

Interventions

Beginning in Reception children are taught as a whole class however, teachers are tuned in to see who needs additional ‘keep up’ sessions starting within the lesson and then if necessary later in the day. Children are assessed half-termly, which informs teachers of the children who need further support in the application and retention of phonics with the blending or the grapheme recognition interventions. This continues into KS1. In KS2 when phonics is not explicitly taught, interventions are still in place to support those children who have not fully cracked the code. 

Starting in year 2, comprehension interventions are in place to support children’s understanding of the text and application to the real world. This continues throughout the school. Every 6 weeks teachers monitor and assess the impact of these interventions and adapt as necessary.

To support children who have cracked the phonics code but are not able to read with fluency, prosody interventions are in place from year 3. This recognises the link between phonics and comprehension and aims to bridge this through repeated guided reading aloud within intonation and expression.

Home Reading

Children take home a library matched to their reading ability as well as have the opportunity to take home a book of their choice to read with their family. Reading records are kept to track reading at home and to encourage dialogue between child and adult about what they are reading and how to develop their reading diet. Every classroom has a carefully stocked book corner in which children can borrow and re-visit throughout the year. All classes have a weekly time to visit one of two libraries at Collis, which are also open at lunch time for children to read and enjoy.

Wider Reading Opportunities

Children are encouraged to join their local library and trips are made there in KS1. All trips have opportunities to widen both vocabulary and interest/subject related literature.

Impact 2022-2023

All pupils access a broad and rich reading curriculum which which creates skilled readers, addresses their needs, prepares them to engage in a complex multi-sectional world, ignites a love of reading and ensures high attainment and progress for all. Our pupils make excellent progress and achieve highly. We meaningfully close the gaps for our SEND, EAL, disadvantaged pupils and any pupils who might be struggling with their learning through good quality first teaching and successful interventions. Our pupils are immersed in reading throughout their curriculum and enjoy reading and texts.

Impact

All pupils access a broad and rich reading curriculum which addresses their needs, prepares them to engage in a complex multi-sectional world, ignites a love of reading and ensures high attainment and progress for all. Our pupils make excellent progress and achieve highly. We meaningfully close the gaps for our SEND, EAL, disadvantaged pupils and any pupils who might be struggling with their learning through good quality first teaching and successful interventions. Our pupils are immersed in reading throughout their curriculum and enjoy reading and texts.

Our parent workshops and book clubs are highly successful and have excellent attendance, particularly from our EAL, SEND and PPG pupils. (Approx. 70 parents attend our KS1 or KS2 reading or phonics workshops and approx. 40-70 parents and pupils attend our termly after school book clubs for Years 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6 as well as 20-40 CATS after school pupils).

Book Clubs 2022

Spelling Workshop for Parents (Years 2-6) - 31st January 2024

Welcome to the library

We are so lucky to have two amazing libraries at Collis, packed with an amazing and up-to-date range of both fiction and non-fiction books.

The junior library is open every day for children from Year 3 to year 6 to both read and change their books at lunchtime.  All junior classes visit every week to choose their main book to read or listen to a story.  Each child in the juniors can take out two books. I am always available for book recommendations.

We also have the newly organised Infant library staffed by Mrs Wells, which is available for the infants.  All year 1 and 2 can take out a book every week.

Hope to see all our children in the library this week.
Mrs Redgrave

We had a fantastic parent spelling session led by Lindsay Pickton on Wednesday. He shared lots of strategies and activities to help parents support their children at home.

Author Visits

We have been so lucky this year to have some fantastic authors and illustrators visit us including; Jenna Herman, Ava Shacklady, Zoe Verner and Dinah Orji.

On the last day of the Autumn 1 half term we had an amazing Mufty Day which was organised by the CSA to stock up our infant and junior libraries and to showcase our love of reading! Children across the school came to school in their PJs and brought along their favourite book to have 'drop everything and read' sessions throughout the day. 

Families donated many pre-loved books as well as purchased some new texts from our amazon wish list! What an amazing success the day was!