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Phonics Statement

INTENT

At Limes Primary we understand the importance of early literacy development. We know that children who enjoy reading have greater accessibility to other subjects and wider opportunities when they move on.

Phonics is a key skill that supports the development of early literacy. We combine quality phonic 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 achieve and have a successful start to their lives as readers.

At Limes Primary, Phonics is taught so that it is accessible to all. Using the ‘Twinkl Phonics’ and ‘Rhino Readers’ programme (systematic and synthetic Government approved programmes) we intend our pupils to be able to

• Recognise, say and write all phonemes within each phase

• 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

IMPLEMENTATION

At Limes Primary we provide a balance of child-led and adult-led experiences for all children that meet the curriculum expectations for ‘Communication and Language’ and ‘Literacy’. These include sharing high-quality stories and poems and learning a range of nursery rhymes and action rhymes. We provide activities that develop focused listening and attention, including oral blending and attention to high-quality language.

When students first join the school they are assessed, using Twinkl Phonics phased assessments, to establish an appropriate starting point. Our programme ensures our children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move on. 

We teach structured daily phonics lessons to students working within the six phonics phases (using Twinkl phonics scheme), this is supplemented by Rhino Readers interactive books and practical activities. For students who have worked through the six phases but still need additional support, a phonics intervention is used to develop knowledge and help with their reading fluency.  We provide phonics support and quality interventions for those children who need it. We are also aware for a small number of children alternative strategies are needed. 

As a provision we work closely with our specialist speech and language therapists who are able to provide individual bespoke learning packages with children working towards personalised targets.

We deliver our phonics content by:

• Using a scheme of work that teaches specific and relevant vocabulary

• Ensuring staff are equipped with the necessary professional development to deliver our curriculum

• 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

• Using a scheme of work where pupils learn the 44 common sounds in the English language and are taught how to blend these sounds to decode (read) words

• Using fully decodable books (Rhino Readers) to match each stage of children’s learning

• Using small and focussed group teaching to target children’s specific next steps

• Using a rigorous assessment system that informs teaching

• Regular reading opportunities and story times for all children

• Phonics-screening checks for Year 1 in the summer term

IMPACT

Through implementing the above:

• Students will be confident in their phonic knowledge

• Students will be able to blend and segment words confidently

• Students pass the Phonics Screening Check

• Students learn to love reading through fun but challenging phonic activities

• We develop a culture where a secure knowledge of phonic sounds enables reading for pleasure as part of our reading curriculum