“Our ambition is to enable success for all children and inspire a lifelong love of reading.” (FFT – 2022)
Phonics Intent
Rationale:
At St. Nicholas C of E Primary, phonics is taught through the systematic acquisition of sounds using the synthetic phonics programme FFT Success for All Phonics. Phonics is a key skill that supports the development of early reading skills. At St. Nicholas C of E Primary, we combine quality phonics instruction with exposure to a range of texts and the promotion of reading for pleasure to provide our pupils with the skills they need to have a successful start to their lives as readers.
Ambition:
Using FFT’s Success for All Phonics programme, we intend our pupils to be able to:
- Recognise, say and write all phonemes within each phase of Letters and Sounds
- Use their phonic knowledge to blend and segment phonetically decodable words
- Use their phonic knowledge to attempt to read and write more complex words
- Read easily, fluently and with good understanding, age and ability appropriate texts
- Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- Write clearly, accurately and coherently, using phonic knowledge
Phonics Implementation
In order to implement our intent, we have:
• Opportunities for whole school and class enrichment.
• A scheme of work that teaches specific and relevant vocabulary (Success for All Phonics)
• Ensured that staff are equipped with the necessary professional development to deliver our
curriculum.
• Planned opportunities for parents to participate in ‘stay and play’ phonics-based sessions
• A progressive scheme of work where the teaching of phonics begins in Preschool and progresses
in line with children’s readiness.
• Daily Phonics sessions in Early Years and Key Stage 1, whereby the pupils learn new phonemes,
improve their ability to segment and blend sounds, and their ability to apply this knowledge into
their reading and writing
• A cohesive and consistent approach to teaching Phonics, where daily sessions follow the same
structure:
✓ Revisit and Review
✓ Teach and Model
✓ Practise and Apply
✓ Celebrate Achievement and Assess
• A systematic spelling and reading programme for Year 2
• Small group or one-to-one interventions such as Tutoring with The Lightning Squad
• A rigorous assessment system that informs teaching.
• A phonics-screening test for Year 1 in the summer term
• A subject leader who monitors teaching and learning to improve standards and outcomes
• Regular training to support staff
• A link governor who liaises with the subject leader in order to monitor and improve standards
• A curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils (including SEND)
Phonics Impact
Through implementing the above
• Pupils will be confident in their phonic knowledge
• Pupils will be able to blend and segment words confidently
• Pupils pass the Phonics Screening Test
• A culture where a secure knowledge of phonic sounds enables reading for pleasure as part of our
reading curriculum
