At All Saints, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers.

Children will continue learning phonics in year 1, following Little Wandle. More focus will also be given to comprehension and understanding of a text. At the end of year 1, children will sit a statutory phonics screening test where they are asked to read words provided by the DfE.

Once children can confidently decode words and read texts independently, they move on to developing their fluency using the Little Wandle Fluency programme. During the programme, children will also have access to Accelerated Reader, which they will use for the rest of their reading journey throughout their time at All Saints. Accelerated Reader allows children to read books that are matched to their reading ability (otherwise called a ZPD) and checks their understanding through an online activity that they complete once they have finished a book.

From year 1 onwards, children are exposed to reading explicitly in: whole class reading sessions; through reading rotations and integrated into our writing journey using a core text.

We also actively encourage children to develop a love of reading by allowing time for them to share stories with their teachers and each other. Each class, from Nursery up until year 6, has ‘story times’ in which the children listen to their teacher read to them and helps them develop a pleasure for reading and listening to stories.