Following the aims and objectives of the National Curriculum, The Lancaster School endeavours to develop a life-long love of reading. We provide children with the skills and knowledge in order to enjoy the art of reading.

Our curriculum is structured through high quality texts and this drives its design. Different text types are carefully selected across all year groups so that the children are exposed to a variety of genres and to a variety of social, moral, spiritual and cultural themes so that they are able to develop cultural capital.   In understanding text variety, children recognise purpose and organisation and learning is carefully planned to enable children to debate, reason and empathise. This is particularly important in closing the speech, language and vocabulary gap which is identified upon entry into nursery. Opportunities are seized to enhance empathy therefore develop reading comprehension strategies and vocabulary extension.

Reading books are fully phonetically decodable and linked to the phonics phase the child is on so their learning is practised and reinforced at home. Children keep their book until they become fluent in reading it.  Our reading books are organised into Phonics Phases. Children move through the Book Phases until they reach the required standard to become a Free-Reader, choosing a book to read from our class libraries. Children are able to take an additional book home, which encourages them to read for pleasure.

We recognise that quality first teaching in reading is the essential first step in improving outcomes for all children and therefore reading is one of our priorities across school. 

Please see our phonics page for more information on teaching early reading.

Parent Comments: 

'I’m really pleased with how my child is doing with his reading. Before he started school he didn’t know any sounds.' 

'My child is able to sound out the words on his own. By the end of the week he is becoming more fluent.'

'My daughter loves to have a story before bed. She is able to read most of the story herself now.'

'I am really pleased with my daughter’s reading, she is reading fluently.'