Reading

At Queen’s Park Academy, we believe that the ability to effectively read is fundamental to children’s success, both academically and personally. Reading is needed to master all subjects and therefore is the most important skill we teach. It should promote thinking, develop their knowledge and feed their curiosity. Through a robust approach, we aim to teach all of our students, regardless of background, needs or ability, to become fluent readers, enabling them to access a full range of life experiences. Most importantly, we aim to foster a love of reading and make use of every opportunity the curriculum offers to teach children to become lifelong readers. 

The Reading Environment 

To foster a love of reading, our reading environment is designed to have a positive impact on attainment, reading and writing skills, attitudes towards reading and to engage reluctant readers. As children progress through the academy, teachers carefully select a motivating class text usually linked to the half-termly topic. This is used when applicable to also embed skills in their writing. Each classroom has a bookshelf offering fiction, poetry and non-fiction texts covering a range of abilities, genres and interests. These books are all banded, so that they are carefully matched to the ability of the child (see below). Our library is accessed weekly by each class for book club activities. The library is also open in before and after school for children to change books. Children are allowed to choose books to read for pleasure, share with their family or to read independently - these books are not banded and we encourage children to choose books that interest them. Our computer suite is regularly used to develop reading through programmes such as Reading Plus.  

To further develop pupils’ passion for reading, we engage in a range of events throughout the year. World Book Day is always based around a specific theme and involves a range of fun activities. Representatives from Charminster Library have also led assemblies at our school, raising the profile of reading within the school and wider community. We see reading as a vital tool in developing pupil’s cultural capital and these events play a key part in this.  

Phonics 

As phonics underpins all reading, we work hard to ensure that our children all have a strong knowledge of different phonemes (letter sounds) before learning to blend these sounds together to form words - a skill that is essential for children to build up their fluency. In their infant settings, children are expected to pass a phonics screening check in Year 1. Those who do not pass, are checked again in Year 2.  

Upon arrival at Queen’s Park Academy, children who have not passed in Year 2 will do a phonics assessment. Using this assessment, children in lower KS2 are ability set and children who need it will then have daily phonics lessons to secure their knowledge and apply their skills. These phonics lessons are taught using the “Rocket Phonics” programme. Children will then continue to have phonics assessments at least once a half term, allowing us to continue the cycle of targeted teaching and assessment until they are fully secure. Every Year 3 classroom also has a display of phonics sounds for children to refer to. 

In upper KS2, children who still need to secure their phonetic knowledge have an intervention using the Rocket Phonics materials. 

Supporting Reading At Home  

At Queen’s Park Academy, we expect our families to be engaged in and supportive of the learning that takes place. Daily reading is proven to have a positive impact upon attainment and progress, and is something which we strongly promote across our academy. Therefore, the support and enthusiasm of parents ensures that the positive culture of reading is also promoted at home.  Across the school, children can record their daily home reading in their reading record. These are encouraged to come into school everyday and parents/carers are asked to sign these to show that they have heard their child read or that the children read at home independently for approximately 10 minutes. Minimum expectations are children read at least three times a week, offering support to families where needed. Home reading is celebrated through the award of stars, Reading Bingo and our whole-school reading game. Reading Bingo encourages children to read books from a range of genres. As children complete their Bingo boards, prizes such as bookmarks, pencils and badges can be earned. Our reading game celebrates the reading that children do at home by racing along a board game, collecting prizes along the way. Classes compete against each other to be awarded the weekly reading trophy and prizes include extra breaktime or mufti.  

Book Banding