English - Reading

Our Reading Curriculum aims to provide a high-quality education that fosters deep engagement with a wide range of texts, ensuring all pupils develop the skills to read fluently, confidently, and with strong comprehension. We are committed to equity, recognising and responding to the diverse needs and backgrounds of every pupil, so that all learners feel valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their full potential. Through carefully sequenced and inclusive provision, we strive to remove barriers to learning and cultivate a lifelong love of reading that supports pupils’ academic progress and personal development across the curriculum.

Reading Subject on a Page

Securing Reading Foundations

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is a systematic, synthetic phonics programme designed to teach early reading and spelling skills in primary schools. It is based on the Department for Education’s (DfE) validated Letters and Sounds phonics framework and aligns with the National Curriculum expectations. The programme begins in Reception (early years) and continues into Key Stage 1, ensuring pupils develop automaticity in phonics skills for reading and spelling.

Daily phonics lessons are supported by a rigorous Reading programme. Pupils read books that match the phonics they have been taught, allowing them to practise decoding skills confidently and independently. This supports the early stages of reading fluency.
The programme includes regular assessment to identify pupils who need additional support and provides targeted intervention resources to help them catch up.

Little Wandle Fluency is a component of the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme that focuses on developing pupils’ reading fluency. Fluency in reading means reading with speed, accuracy, and proper expression, which is essential for good comprehension and overall reading success.

40 books progress from Fluency 1 to Fluency 10. Fluency 1 books are designed for a reading speed of 60wpm (the expected level at the end of the Little Wandle programme) and Fluency 10 for a reading speed of 120wpm (beyond the expected level for Year 3).

Pathways to Read (KS2)

At Oakfield, we follow Pathways to Reading which is closely linked with our writing curriculum. Pathways to Read units provide progressive development of reading skills that follows a mastery approach delivered through high quality texts.

KS2 Overview

Author focus 

All our classes are named after famous authors. As children move though the school, they have opportunities to read and listen to stories by these authors - how many of these authors are you familiar with?

Library Visits

We visit the local library regularly and will message on class dojo, informing you of upcoming visits. Please ensure that your child brings their library card with them if you would like them to be able to choose books to take home.

Online Reading Resources

Children in Reception and Year 1 have access to Reading Eggs to use at home to support their phonics teaching. Children in Y2-Y6 have access to Collins Big Cat E-Library or Collins Reading Buddy which is an online reading library that all children have log in access to to support reading at home.