Phonics

Intent

• To build on pupils growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through the school
• To be equipped to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read
• To read confidently for meaning and regularly enjoy reading for pleasure
• To see themselves as readers
• To be taught fidelity to the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revisited programme

Implementation

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revisited is used to provide daily engaging phonics lessons in KS1.  Children are taught that the letters of the alphabet all represent a different sound.  The children learn to recognise all of the different sounds and combinations that they might see when they are reading or writing. 

How the school teaches phonics

Phonics teaching starts in Early Years and follows a very specific sequence that allows pupils to build on their previous phonic knowledge and master specific phonic strategies as they move through the school.

• In Early Years and Year 1 children have a daily 30-minute phonics lesson to develop stamina to progress to a full-length lesson as quickly as possible
• Four new phonemes and their corresponding graphemes are taught each week
• Each Friday, the week’s teaching is reviewed to help children become fluent readers.  Children also learn ‘tricky words’ during these sessions
• In Early Years, teaching begins in week 2 of the Autumn term
• In Early Years the children learn phase 2, phase 3 and phase 4
• Year 1 begin the Autumn term with 3 weeks of revision of phases 2, 3 and 4 before learning phase 5, which will be completed by the end of the year
• In Year 2, children have a 5 week review of their phonics learning in the Autumn term before moving on to spelling

How do we assess phonic knowledge?

• In Early Years and Year 1, at the end of each week there is a review session which recaps the learning
• Half termly assessments take place through EYFS and Year 1 to help inform future teaching and help identify children who have gaps in their phonic knowledge and need additional practice

• Daily assessment of learning also takes place so staff can quickly identify any children who are in danger of falling behind and provide the appropriate daily ‘Keep Up’ sessions – these follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme
• Children who do not pass the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1, will re-sit this in Year 2
• In KS2 children follow a catch up programme to support decoding - this is assessed every three weeks to track progress and inform planning

Impact

Through the teaching of systematic phonics, the school’s pupils will become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One.  In KS2 children can then focus on developing their fluency and comprehension so that they become independent readers who can easily process information, fully engage in all learning and be well prepared for the next stage of their education. 

If you would like to learn more about the way we teach phonics, view the progression document or explore how this learning can be supported at home please use the QR code below or use the following link. 

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/