Reading Intent

At Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School, we aim to provide our children with the necessary skills to develop their knowledge and wider experiences.  We recognise that reading and writing are fundamental parts of lifelong learning and therefore our staff strive to promote these skills in everything that they do.

Within English, children will develop their oracy skills, learn how to read and expand their vocabulary, developing and applying their knowledge, skills and understanding to writing across the curriculum.

The English Overviews (see attachments below) show the links between our reading, writing and the wider curriculum and are used to support teaching and show progression. The reading spines are carefully selected to support the wider curriculum and the diversity of our community, together with supporting children to learn about different cultures, geographically and historically.

Reading:

In line with the whole school, our reading vision is to enable children to thrive in their reading so they can read any text with fluency and accuracy. It is also our mission to make reading accessible and enjoyable - giving children an escape to a land of awe and wonder that will in turn inspire and develop their writing. 

During their early years, children are taught how to read using synthetic phonics.  At Brierley Forest, we use the Read Write Inc. approach. This is a DfE validated systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) teaching programme used in more than 5,000 schools across the UK. It is a whole-school approach to phonics that provides comprehension, handwriting, spelling and composition to get children reading, writing and speaking fluently. All children in EYFS and KS1 receive daily phonic sessions, where they are taught the necessary skills they require. Have a look at the Phonics tab on the curriculum page for film clips and more information about this programme. 

Reading fluency and accuracy is vital in helping children to comprehend. In KS2 at Brierley Forest, we use the Repeated Oral Reading approach (adapted from Edale Rise Primary and Nursery School). Children hear the reading modelled by an adult, rehearsing tricking words and learning word meaning. In pairs, they then read the same piece of text to each other several times until they are reading fluently and accurately. This approach mirrors that of the reading of books following the Read Write Inc. programme. Repeated Oral Reading takes place daily in reading lessons, but also when reading across the curriculum. 

Reading comprehension is developed through the Read Write Inc programme for our early readers, and by using the Literacy Shed + VIPERS approach in KS2. VIPERS is an acronym to aid the recall of the 6 reading domains as part of the UK’s reading curriculum.  They are the key areas which we feel children need to know and understand in order to improve their comprehension of texts. VIPERS stands for: Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Summarise or sequence. 

Whilst completing VIPERS tasks, children are expected to take part in discussions about the text that they are reading. They are encouraged to question and challenge each other to build their own knowledge and understanding.

Reading for Pleasure:

Our Reading Team are instrumental in driving reading for pleasure at Brierley Forest. The team consists of 12 children (our Reading Ambassadors) who are avid readers and who have amazing ideas to showcase reading. They are supported by a team of Brierley staff, including Transform Trust directors, admin staff, MDSAs, senior leaders, teachers and TAs, who discuss reading with the children and help to bring their ideas alive.

Events to develop reading for pleasure include: Reading@BFPNSFestival which helped get books into homes; the Big Brierley Book Swap, Pyjamarama Day and World Book Day, as well as other class themed approaches linked to the curriculum.

At Brierley Forest, we are fortunate to have La Bibliothèque, which is home to the school's library and allows children to develop reading for pleasure in a comfortable environment.  Once children are able to apply reading strategies, they can chose from a wide range of books appropriate to their age. The children have been instrumental in the re-stock of books, both in La Bibliothèque and in their classroom.  We have listened to them and replenished according to their interests and common themes. We are always looking for donations to add to our book collections so if you have any lying around at home that the children have outgrown, we would love to give them a new lease of life! Please drop them in at reception, for the attention of Mrs Wallis. 

KS2 children also have access to First News iHub. They have their own individual log in enabling them to access news and complete comprehension tasks, which include quizzes, crosswords, Q&A and many more.

Every day, the children listen to modelled reading by an adult.  Children are encouraged to select books that they would like to hear. They reflect on and evaluate what they have heard, making links to other books by the same author, similar themes, their project etc. Children also have daily time allocated to them to just sit and read. The children report that they really enjoy this dedicated time. 

Learning with Parents

Learning with Parents is our digital reading diary. Each family is able to log in and record their child's reading, either by logging a message or uploading an audio recording or film clip. Children are expected to read at least four times each week and they compete for weekly and termly certificates to show their dedication to reading.

If you're not yet linked to Learning with Parents, please see your child's class teacher. 

Foyle Foundation

At BFPNS, we have been fortunate to secure a grant from the Foyle Foundation to help us to purchase more books for La Bibliothèque. This has ensured that we can up-date some of our classic books, but also enable that the children have some new books that meet ever-changing interests, as well as introducing them to new authors. We are so grateful to have had this opportunity. 

Oxford Owl for Home - FREE eBook Library

Sign up for free to access hundreds of online reading resources for all ages. All free eBooks also come as audios to support with reading. 

Join now at: https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/