Phonics
Phonics at Ashton Hayes Primary School
Aim (Vision)
At Ashton Hayes Primary School, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will develop. Phonics provides the foundation for reading, writing and communication, and we are committed to ensuring that every child becomes a confident and fluent reader.
We use a consistent, systematic approach to phonics teaching through Essential Letters and Sounds, enabling children to develop the skills they need to decode words, read with accuracy and build a lifelong love of reading.
Intent
Our phonics curriculum is designed to:
- ensure all children develop secure early reading skills as quickly as possible
- provide a consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of phoni
- support children to blend sounds for reading and segment words for spelling
- enable children to read with increasing fluency, confidence and understanding
- identify and support children who need additional help so that no child falls behind
We aim for all pupils to:
- recognise and use a wide range of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
- read words accurately by blending sounds
- develop confidence in reading both familiar and unfamiliar words
- apply phonics skills in both reading and writing
Implementation
Phonics is taught daily in EYFS and Year 1 using the Essential Letters and Sounds programme.
Lessons are:
- structured and progressive, following a clearly sequenced programme
- taught in a consistent way across classes to support all learners
- focused on developing skills in blending (reading) and segmenting (spelling)
- fast-paced, engaging and inclusive
Children are:
- taught new sounds and given regular opportunities to practise and apply them
- supported to read books that are fully matched to their phonics knowledge
- encouraged to re-read texts to develop fluency and confidenc
Assessment is used regularly to:
- check children’s understanding
- identify any gaps in learning
- provide targeted support and intervention
Additional support is provided for any children who need it, both within lessons and through focused interventions. This continues beyond Year 1 where necessary to ensure all pupils develop secure reading skills.
Parents are supported through:
- information about how phonics is taught
- guidance on how to support reading at home
- opportunities to understand how sounds are pronounced and applied
- Impact
Through our phonics teaching, children at Ashton Hayes Primary School:
- develop secure early reading skills
- are able to decode unfamiliar words with confidence
- read with increasing fluency and accuracy
- build a strong foundation for comprehension and enjoyment of reading
Children who require additional support receive it quickly, ensuring that they keep up rather than catch up.
By the end of Year 1, the majority of pupils are able to meet the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check, and those who need further support continue to develop their skills in subsequent years.
Ultimately, our approach ensures that pupils leave Key Stage 1 as confident readers, ready to access the wider curriculum and continue their reading journey.