Reading is at the heart and centre of our curriculum. It is our aim to ensure that pupils become fluent readers as early as possible. We know that through clear and effective daily instruction in Phonics, children will gain the skills with which to decode and start to build reading fluency. Subsequent Delta Reading Strategy sessions then have a precise focus on further developing pupils fluency so that they can simultaneously read and understand the text they are engaging with. We recognise how crucial this is for pupils to be able to access all areas of the curriculum. Our intent is that no child should leave our school without being able to read.

We pride ourselves in celebrating a love of reading throughout school from the moment the pupils arrive until the moment they leave. We encourage pupils to develop a love of reading so that they become life-long readers.

Books are visible and easily accessible around the Academy so that children are encouraged to select texts which are of interest to them and are not limited to set ‘times’ and ‘zones’ where they are allowed to read. To complement this, inviting reading areas situated throughout the academy provide comfy spaces where children may sit and read for pleasure in their own time.

We have invested in a wide range of quality literature from the Top 30 Fiction, Non-Fiction and ‘There I Am’ reading spines so that children are provided with reading materials which not only capture their interests but that provide them with opportunities to learn about diversity and about the experiences of others. These texts have been supplemented with poetry, books that have been recommended by the staff, books that support children with self-regulation and their social, emotional and mental health and books in direct response to what our pupils have told us they like to read during our pupil voice activities.

We want our school to create a climate and a culture of reading amongst our pupils. This is encouraged through the use of reading challenges, reading newsletters and reading reviews and through our class texts, both at instructional level and the texts which adults share with children by reading them aloud at story time. We ensure our pupils read widely and often, with fluency and comprehension appropriate to their age. Furthermore, we arrange engaging experiences such as author visits, library visits and book fayres to expose the pupils to the joy that reading can bring. This aims to involve and inspire the community with developing a love of reading.

A strategic approach to story time is being embedded. All pupils in the academy enjoy listening to an age appropriate story every day. Each classroom is transformed in to an inviting environment where the pupils are able to lose themselves in the imaginary world inspired by the story telling experience.

We listen to the pupils read regularly and they are then encouraged to read aloud to an adult at home at least three times a week. This is to help reinforce their word recognition; improve their fluency and confidence; and share their love of reading with siblings and parents. We reward pupils who read at home with ‘regular reading’ prizes. They are recognised weekly and half-termly in assembly with special prizes and everywhere around school, you will see encouragement for reading. We acknowledge that not all pupils will have the opportunity to read at home. Therefore, we ensure these pupils are listened to as often as possible within school.