Intent

It is our intent that children will acquire all 44 sounds through direct teaching of phonics and be able to apply their phonics knowledge when decoding unfamiliar words. Children will gain confidence in reading real and ‘alien words’, so that they have the skills to meet the expected standards for the phonics screening check at the end of year 1. Children who do not meet the standard will receive interventions to help them to catch up with their peers.  Phonics will lay the foundations for children to build upon their reading skills as they progress through the juniors.

Implementation

Phonics is taught:                                         

1. In discrete lessons daily.  

In Nursery, Reception, Year 1 (and Year 2 where needed), The Bug Club Phonics scheme is followed.  This is a systematic approach to teaching phonics, where new sounds are introduced each day, using an interactive approach.  During the sessions, children are taught to blend to read and segment to spell, incorporating the lessons sounds.  At the end of the week / unit, language sessions are taught, which consolidate the sounds introduced.

2.  In Guided reading sessions.  

In reception, year 1 and year 2, books are selected to match their phonic abilities.  This is tracked regularly using our assessment tool, Phonics Tracker and children’s book bands / phonic stages are altered accordingly.

3.  In writing sessions

Phonics is further reinforced through our writing sessions in reception, year 1 and 2 and links are made with prior learning from phonics sessions.

4.  In discrete spelling sessions in year 1 and 2, to consolidate the phonic curriculum.

5.  In intervention groups

These are run in year 1 and 2 where children have fallen behind and either not passed the phonics check or are at risk of not passing, using Bug Club Phonics.  In KS2, Direct Phonics is used as an intervention to support children who still need to securely acquire their phonics skills.

Homework set in reception and year 1 is always linked to the phonics learning, so that parents are aware of the sounds taught each week and can practise these regularly to further embed.

Impact

• Children can decode unfamiliar words in their reading and become competent and fluent readers. 
• Children can draw upon their phonics knowledge to become accurate at spelling phonetic words. 
• In year 1 children will meet the standard of the Statutory Phonics Screening Check.

Phonics Progression of Skills

 Supporting Phonics at home: