Phonics and Early Reading

We use Unlocking Letters and Sounds which was validated by the DfE in December 2021.

We begin teaching phonics in the first few weeks of term 1 in Reception and children make rapid progress in their reading journey. Children begin to learn the main sounds heard in the English Language and how they can be represented, as well as learning ‘Common Exception’ words for Phases 2, 3 and 4. They use these sounds to read and write simple words, captions and sentences. Children leave Reception being able to apply the phonemes taught within Phase 2, 3 and 4.

In Year 1 through Phase 5a, b and c, they learn any alternative spellings and pronunciations for the graphemes and additional Common Exception Words. By the end of Year 1 children will have mastered using phonics to decode and blend when reading and segment when spelling. In Year 1 all children are screened using the national Phonics Screening Check.

In Year 2, phonics continues to be revisited to ensure mastery of the phonetic code and any child who does not meet age related expectations will continue to receive support to close identified gaps.

For further details please see the Unlocking Letters and Sounds progression:

To ensure no child is left behind at any point in the progression, children are regularly assessed and supported to keep up through bespoke 1-1 interventions. These include GPC recognition and blending and segmenting interventions. The lowest attaining 20% of

pupils are closely monitored to ensure these interventions have an impact.

Reading Scheme

At St Mary Redcliffe Primary, we promote a 'phonics first' approach and in both our guided reading sessions at school and in the books children take home, texts are very closely matched to a child's current phonics knowledge so that every child can experience real success in their reading.

In these crucial early stages of reading we primarily use books from Ransom Reading Stars Phonics to ensure complete fidelity to the Unlocking Letters and Sounds progression we follow. Once children progress beyond decodable texts, they move onto our book scheme so that they can continue to progress in their decoding, fluency and comprehension skills to become avid, expert readers.

Intent

At SMRP, we believe that a high-quality early reading education provides children with the essential skills they need to communicate confidently, understand the world around them, and express their ideas effectively.

Through our early reading curriculum, children learn to:

• Articulate sounds accurately

• Recognise, decode, and blend sounds both individually and within words

• Develop fluency, comprehension, and confidence in spelling and writing

Implementation

From the Early Years onwards, we nurture a love of language and reading through a range of engaging, interactive strategies. These include:

• Oral games that build sound recognition and articulation using objects and pictures

• Regular opportunities to segment and blend sounds orally

• Reading Breakfasts for families to share books together

Unlocking Letters and Sounds

At SMRP, we use Unlocking Letters and Sounds, a high-quality synthetic phonics programme designed to support children as they learn to read. Phonics teaching begins in Nursery and typically continues through to the end of Key Stage 1—or for as long as each child needs.

Our phonics provision includes:

• Daily phonics lessons, introducing sounds through letters, pictures, and rhymes, supported by engaging oral games in the Early Years

• Progressive sound development, helping children form letters, decode and blend sounds, and read and write words confidently

• Daily practice reading and spelling words containing known sounds

• Decodable reading books, carefully matched to each child’s phonics knowledge

• 1:1 tutoring, ensuring every child receives the support they need to succeed

• Home reader books, aligned to individual sound knowledge and decoding ability

• Teacher story time, using carefully chosen books to enrich vocabulary and expose children to a diverse range of stories and texts

Impact

We regularly assess the impact of our phonics and early reading provision using a range of measures, including:

• Termly phonics assessments to track progress

• Monitoring of 1:1 intervention outcomes

• Regular reading sessions with adults in school

• Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

• Feedback from pupils and parents

Through these approaches, we ensure that every child develops the skills, confidence, and enthusiasm to become a fluent, lifelong reader.