English is led by Miss Stevenson. Our phonics curriculum is led by Miss Nelson. Reading is also supported throughout the school by our wonderful Year 6 Reading Ambassadors.

Reading Aims

A Bovingdon Primary Academy reader should leave at the end of Key Stage 2 with…

• phonic and decoding skills which can be applied to a range of texts
• the ability to read a range of texts fluently and accurately
• a knowledge of extensive and rich vocabulary
• an excellent comprehension of texts
• extensive knowledge through having read a rich and varied range of texts
• a love of reading

Writing Aims

A Bovingdon Primary Academy writer should leave at the end of Key Stage 2 with…

• the ability to write fluently and confidently within a range of fiction and non-fiction genres
• the understanding of a wide range of writing techniques and sound understanding of grammar rules
• knowledge that purpose and audience are central to effective writing
• the ability to write neatly and produce well-presented work
• a strong understanding of spelling rules
• a vivid imagination which makes readers engage with their fiction writing
• a love of writing

Phonics

We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised to plan and provide daily engaging phonics lessons. It is a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP) designed following government guidance.

How we teach phonics

• In Nursery, children follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised ‘Foundations for Phonics’ guidance. The focus is on daily oral blending and language development through high quality stories and rhymes.
• In Reception and Year 1, children follow the progression within Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. Phonics is taught daily and there is a review session on a Friday.
• Phonics starts in Reception in week 2 to ensure the children make a strong start.
• By the end of Reception, children will have been taught up to the end of phase 4.
• By the end of year 1, children will have been taught up to the end of phase 5.
• In Year 2, phonics lessons are taught daily to children where appropriate – following the model of Little Wandle but plugging specific gaps identified through assessment.
• In Key Stage 2 there are planned phonic ‘catch-up’ sessions following a set model to address specific reading/writing gaps.

Due to the impact of Covid-19, and a change in phonics programme, there may be slight differences to the above this academic year.

Programme Overview:

Below you will find an overview of the teaching sequence we are following. 

Home Reading Books

At Bovingdon Primary Academy, our reading books are banded using the national colour-banded book band system. Our reading scheme books are predominantly Collins Big Cat however we also have some titles from Oxford Reading Tree. Children progress through the banded colours as they gain confidence, and because of the breadth of choice available in each colour band, they should be able to find books that appeal to them at each stage. Our teachers carry out reading assessments to establish which level children are reading at and whether they need to move up to the next level to maintain the right level of challenge. We have recently extended our reading scheme into Lower Key Stage 2 to support children choose appropriate texts to build on the skills they need to meet age-related expectations.

Key Documents