Reading at St. Mark’s
Intent
At St. Mark’s, we understand that reading is the cornerstone of all academic success and personal growth. Our reading curriculum is designed to inspire a love for reading from the earliest stages, ensuring children become confident, independent readers. We aim for every child to develop strong literacy skills, from early phonemic awareness in Nursery to advanced comprehension in Key Stage 2. By cultivating a rich reading culture, we support children in unlocking new worlds, enhancing creativity, and building the literacy skills essential for lifelong learning. Our approach is inclusive and ambitious, ensuring all children, regardless of their starting point, can achieve reading success.
Implementation
In Nursery and Reception, and Year 1 reading instruction begins with theFFT Success for All Phonics scheme, providing structured, systematic phonics teaching. Children engage with songs, rhymes, and stories that build early phonemic awareness, and they are given decodable books that align with their phonics level. These books, available both as physical copies and online, encourage home-school engagement, allowing parents to support their child’s reading journey. By Year 2, children consolidate their phonics knowledge through the Routes to Reading programme, which focuses on fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. In Key Stage 2, we deepen children’s understanding of texts using book banded guided reading sessions, twice weekly (per child). In yr. 3 – 6, guided reading sessions introduce students to a wide range of genres, helping them engage critically with literature and develop a deeper appreciation for texts. Every child at St. Mark’s has access to a fully stocked library, and our strong partnership with the North Library provides additional resources through regular events and workshops. We promote a school-wide reading culture through initiatives like the Radical Readers awards, Reading Buddies scheme, and regular home reading with parental involvement. Children also use personal reading records to reflect on and track their progress, taking pride in their reading accomplishments.
Impact
The impact of our reading curriculum is reflected in our consistently strong Key Stage 2 reading scores in national SATs. Our systematic approach to phonics and reading comprehension ensures that children make excellent progress, meeting and exceeding national benchmarks. Children in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 develop strong decoding skills, while Key Stage 2 students leave St. Mark’s with advanced comprehension and critical thinking abilities. The FFT reading programmes and our holistic approach help foster a love of reading that extends beyond academic achievement, preparing children for future educational success. At St. Mark’s, we are proud that our reading curriculum consistently leads to high attainment in national SATs, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach and ensuring that all our students leave as confident, lifelong readers.