At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that reading is the gateway to the whole curriculum. Our ambition is for every child to become an accurate, fluent and confident reader who develops both the skills and the enthusiasm needed to enjoy reading throughout their life.

We teach early reading and phonics through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, providing a systematic and consistent approach to the teaching of phonics from the Early Years and throughout Key Stage 1. Our aim is for children to develop secure phonemic awareness, confidently recognise grapheme–phoneme correspondences (GPCs), blend sounds to read words and segment words accurately for spelling.

We recognise that children begin school with different experiences of language and literacy and that some pupils require additional time, repetition and carefully targeted support to secure their phonics knowledge. We therefore place strong emphasis on early identification and rapid intervention, ensuring that gaps are addressed before they become barriers to accessing the wider curriculum.

For pupils who require continued support beyond Key Stage 1, including those with SEND or gaps in their previous phonics learning, we provide a structured pathway for reading intervention. Project X CODE supports identified pupils in Key Stage 2 to develop decoding, fluency and comprehension through age-appropriate, carefully structured reading materials.

Our intention is that no child sees themselves as someone who “cannot read”. Through ambitious teaching, appropriate adaptation and targeted intervention, we aim to give every pupil the tools, confidence and resilience to experience success as a reader.

Phonics is taught through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, with fidelity to the programme ensuring a consistent, systematic approach across the Early Years and Key Stage 1.

Children are taught daily discrete phonics sessions in which new grapheme–phoneme correspondences and tricky words are explicitly introduced, modelled, practised and reviewed. Learning follows a carefully sequenced progression, enabling children to build securely upon previously taught knowledge.

Children are taught to apply their phonic knowledge through decodable reading books that are closely matched to their secure phonic knowledge. Regular reading practice develops decoding, prosody and comprehension, helping pupils move from sounding and blending towards increasingly automatic and fluent reading.

Assessment is used purposefully to identify what children know and, importantly, the specific knowledge they have not yet secured. Children at risk of falling behind receive prompt, targeted Keep-up support, using approaches consistent with Little Wandle so that intervention complements rather than conflicts with classroom teaching. Regular assessment enables staff to monitor progress, identify gaps and adjust support quickly.

Home reading forms an important part of our partnership with families. Children are encouraged to read regularly at home, developing fluency and confidence through repeated practice. Alongside decodable texts, children experience high-quality books, stories, rhymes and poems read aloud by adults, ensuring that children's enjoyment of literature and exposure to ambitious vocabulary are not restricted by their current decoding ability.

Where pupils continue to require significant reading support in Key Stage 2, assessment is used to identify the nature of the reading difficulty and the most appropriate intervention. Project X CODE provides a structured catch-up programme for identified pupils, combining systematic decoding practice with age-appropriate texts, vocabulary development, comprehension and opportunities to build reading stamina and confidence.

We recognise that intervention must be purposeful rather than permanent. Progress is therefore regularly reviewed, with the ambition that pupils close gaps and increasingly access age-appropriate reading alongside their peers.

Throughout school, teachers reinforce the importance of phonics as a strategy for tackling unfamiliar words while progressively developing pupils' fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Reading is prioritised across the curriculum so that pupils have frequent opportunities to apply their developing skills in meaningful contexts.

Through our systematic approach to phonics and reading intervention, pupils will develop the phonic knowledge, decoding skills and fluency required to become successful independent readers.

By the end of Reception, we expect children to have established strong foundations in phonics and to be increasingly confident in applying their knowledge when reading and writing. By the end of Year 1, pupils will have been systematically taught the phonics knowledge required to meet the expectations of the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, with any gaps accurately identified and addressed.

By the end of Key Stage 1, the majority of pupils will have moved beyond reliance upon overt sounding and blending towards increasingly automatic, accurate and fluent reading. Pupils requiring further support will have clearly identified needs and an appropriate programme of intervention in place as they transition into Key Stage 2.

For pupils accessing Project X CODE, impact will be seen through improved decoding accuracy, increased fluency and stamina, stronger comprehension and, importantly, greater confidence and willingness to engage with reading. Assessment and ongoing monitoring will demonstrate that gaps are narrowing and pupils are increasingly able to access texts across the wider curriculum.

The impact of our approach will also be evident in children's attitudes. Pupils will approach unfamiliar words with strategies rather than avoidance, demonstrate resilience when reading becomes challenging and increasingly choose to read for both purpose and pleasure.

Ultimately, children will leave St Joseph’s equipped with the reading skills necessary to access the next stage of their education. They will understand that reading enables them to learn independently, explore new ideas, encounter different perspectives and participate fully in the wider world.

At St Joseph’s, learning to read is not simply an English objective; it is a fundamental entitlement for every child.