English -

Reading

INTENT

At Gravel Hill, we are committed to fostering a lifelong love of reading and ensuring that all pupils develop the skills and confidence to become fluent, independent readers. Our reading curriculum is designed to support children at every stage of their learning journey, from early phonics instruction to engaging with complex texts, while also nurturing their enjoyment of reading.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1):

EYFS and KS1 pupils follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics scheme, supported by phonetically decodable Big Cat Collins books to reinforce their learning.
Pupils are assessed half-termly on their phonics progress and comprehension abilities using Little Wandle assessments, ensuring they build a strong foundation in early reading skills.
Children who are making slower progress will have regular, rapid catch-up sessions with adults in school

Key Stage 2 (KS2):

KS2 pupils engage with a high-quality, whole texts, where lessons focus on in-depth discussions about vocabulary and story content in order to ensure children build a strong mental model of the text.
Poetry and non-fiction texts are explored in depth at the end of every half term, broadening pupils' literary experiences and analytical skills.
Termly assessments are conducted using PiXL tests to monitor progress and inform teaching.

Reading for Pleasure:

Daily story time ensures every child experiences the joy of listening to and discussing stories.
Opportunities for outdoor reading, a well-stocked and inviting school library, and engaging classroom book corners support pupils’ enjoyment of reading.
Weekly activities include poetry for pleasure sessions, a ‘book talk’ assembly, and time dedicated to reading for pleasure within the curriculum.
KS2 classes visit Bexleyheath Library annually to explore and borrow books, fostering a connection with the wider community.
World Book Day is celebrated each year often by author visits and a range of other exciting events which we then base our reading and writing upon for the day.

Home Reading:

We use Story Zoo to log reading activity and to provide access to age-appropriate e-books.
KS1 pupils take home phonetically decodable Big Cat Collins books, while KS2 pupils select age-appropriate texts to read at home, fostering independence and choice in reading.
In school, a weekly buddy reading system is also in place to help support those who may need additional reading practice all the way up to year 4.

By embedding high-quality teaching, regular assessments, and a love for literature into our curriculum, we aim to empower every child to become a confident and enthusiastic reader, equipped with the skills to succeed both academically and in life

Reading Spine- In depth text study in daily reading lessons

Nursery	NELI reading programme Big Cat Collins book’s used in Little Wandle reading lessons
Reception
Year 1
Year 2	Big Cat Collins book’s used in Little Wandle reading lessons Summer term only: Fiction: The Hodgeheg by Dick King Smith Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine Non-fiction: Habitats text Poetry: When Daddy fell into the pond by Alfred Noyes
Year 3	Fiction: Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald Dahl The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley  Ice trap by Hooper, Meridith, Robertson, M.P The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman The Wild Robot by Peter Brown Non-fiction: Castles Endurance (Shackleton text) Forces text Poetry: Slowly by James Reeves Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson  Midnight Snow by Attie Lime
Year 4	Fiction: Princess Blankets by carol Ann Duffy and Winter’s Child by Angela McAllister  Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan Street Child by Berlie Doherty Cogheart by Peter Bunzl Varjak Paw by S.F. Said Iron Man by Ted Hughes Non-fiction: Dragon text Victorian Academy  Ancient Greece Poetry: Child’s Song in Spring by E. Nesbit The River by Valarie Bloom Pied Piper of Hamelin poem
Year 5	Fiction: Skellig by David Almond  Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce The boy at the back of the class by Onjali Rauf Macbeth (A Shakespeare Story) by Andrew Matthews and Tony Ross Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo Non-fiction: Migration Crisis article The Alps Poetry: The Tyger by William Blake The Listeners by Walter De La Mare Night Mail by W H Auden The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes
Year 6	Fiction: Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo There’s a boy in the girls’ bathroom by Louis Sachar Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho-Yen Five Children and It by E.Nesbit Non-fiction: Darwin- The Evolution of an idea Poetry: In Flanders Field by John McCrae Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll (Classic) My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson The Great Lizards by Dave Calder

Our reading curriculum is supported by a variety of texts that are read during daily story time.

Poetry for pleasure spine

Each year group has a focus poet and a focus style of poetry. Children listen to and discuss poems every week.

Nursery	Focus poet- Giles Andreae Focus Style- Nursery Rhymes and Rhyming Narrative
Reception	Focus poet – Nick Sharatt    Focus Style – Alphabet List Poems
Year 1	Focus Poet – Julia Donaldson  Focus Style – Alliterative List Poems
Year 2	Focus Poet – Roald Dahl Focus Style – Acrostic and Shape Poems
Year 3	Focus Poet – Michael Rosen Focus Style – Haiku and Tanka
Year 4	Focus Poet – Ted Hughes and Benjamin Zephaniah  Focus Style – Limerick
Year 5	Focus Poet – Joseph Coelho   Focus Style – Cinquain
Year 6	Focus Poet – Carol Ann Duffy  Focus Style – Sonnets

Helping your child read at home