Reading is the heartbeat of Gawber Primary School. It shapes our curriculum, drives our ambition for every child, and underpins success in every subject. Our intention is simple and unwavering: every child will be a reader—a fluent, confident, motivated reader who can access the full richness of education and carry their love of reading into adult life.

A Love of Reading from the Very Start

From the moment children join us, they are immersed in high-quality literature. Daily story time, rich class texts, poetry, drama and non-fiction ensure that reading is a joyful, shared experience. As our English Policy states, “children encounter high-quality texts daily… gaining access to countless worlds, ideas and experiences.”

We know that children who read regularly—or are read to regularly—develop stronger vocabulary, deeper comprehension and greater confidence across the curriculum. Reading is not just a skill; it is a gateway to imagination, knowledge and independence.

Early Reading: Read Write Inc and Decodable Books

To ensure every child becomes an accurate, automatic reader, we follow Read Write Inc, a validated systematic synthetic phonics programme. RWI is taught daily with no exceptions, because “the continuity and pace of the programme is key to accelerating the progress of our children’s reading development.”

Key features of early reading at Gawber include:

• Daily RWI sessions taught by highly trained staff

• Books precisely matched to taught graphemes

• Decodable books sent home to build fluency

• Regular assessment and regrouping led by the Early Reading Leader

• 1:1 tutoring for children who need additional support

Children leave RWI as confident decoders, ready to move into more advanced reading and comprehension.

Talk Through Stories: Building Comprehension and Vocabulary in EYFS & KS1

Alongside phonics, our youngest children follow a two-week Talk Through Stories sequence. This develops oral language, vocabulary, comprehension and early sentence construction through repeated encounters with a carefully chosen text.

Children engage in activities such as:

• “Favourite phrases… Freeze frame feelings… Which is the right sentence?”

• Dictated sentences

• Vocabulary review

• Structured talk and character discussion

This ensures children enter KS2 with strong foundations in language comprehension and a deep familiarity with story structure.

Reading in Key Stage 2: Let’s Talk About English

Once children are fluent decoders, they move into Let’s Talk About English, our oracy-based reading and writing sequence. This approach strengthens fluency, deepens comprehension and builds the analytical skills needed to read increasingly complex texts.

Children learn through:

• Three Teacher Reads – modelling expressive, fluent reading

• Partner Read – developing fluency and feedback skills

• Context Vocabulary – ensuring access to challenging texts

• Picture It – connecting visual and written information

• Extract Analysis – exploring meaning, structure and authorial choices

• The Unseen Text – comparing texts to strengthen comprehension

• BIG TALK – philosophical discussion linked to reading

This structured sequence ensures children understand how texts work, why authors make certain choices, and how meaning is constructed.

Language Comprehension: A Whole-School Priority

Language comprehension is deliberately and explicitly taught at Gawber. As your policy states, “ways in which to comprehend texts are taught explicitly in reading sessions and applied across the curriculum.”

Children learn to:

• activate prior knowledge

• make connections across texts and subjects

• understand audience and purpose

• retrieve, infer and justify

• discuss ideas respectfully and confidently

This ensures they can read effectively for different subjects—science, history, geography, RE—and apply reading as a tool for learning.

Assessment and Support

Reading progress is closely monitored through:

• RWI assessments

• DIBELS and YARC fluency, accuracy and comprehension assessments

• Regular reading with adults

• Additional reading for the lowest 20%

• Carefully planned interventions

As stated in the policy, “small step progress can be tracked” and staff use their expertise to respond quickly to emerging needs.

Poetry Every Day

Poetry is a daily, deliberate part of our reading curriculum. Each year group follows a core set of poems and poets, including Pie Corbett’s poetry spine. Children hear, enjoy and perform poetry regularly, developing:

• rhythm

• intonation

• expression

• vocabulary

• emotional response

Poetry is woven through reading, writing and wider curriculum learning, enriching language and inspiring creativity.

Gawber Reading Leaders

Our Reading Leaders champion reading across school. They:

• care for books indoors and outdoors

• read with younger children

• celebrate reading achievements

• help to promote reading events

• occasionally support Mrs Maul by proofreading her books!

Their work helps sustain a vibrant reading culture where children feel proud to be readers.

Reading Stars & The Reading Lounge

Every week, we celebrate children who demonstrate commitment, progress or enthusiasm for reading. Our Reading Stars enjoy a story and a sweet treat in our luxury Reading Lounge—a space designed to make reading feel special.

A Lifelong Love of Reading

By the time children leave Gawber, they are not only fluent readers—they are readers who choose to read. Readers who understand how reading opens doors. Readers who can access the next stage of their education with confidence.

Most importantly, they are readers who know that books can change lives.