Reading Curriculum       
                                                       Vision            

At St. Luke's, we aim to provide every child with the skills and confidence to become a fluent, engaged, and lifelong reader. We believe proficiency in reading, writing, and spoken language is essential for pupils’ success in all areas of life. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, and we are committed to ensuring that all our children develop a love of the written word.

St. Luke’s identifies two important phases in reading development: learning to read and reading to learn. During the early stages of learning to read, we systematically teach a wide range of strategies that will enable our pupils to read fluently and with good understanding. As children progress, we support them in transitioning to the phase of reading to learn, where they can use their reading skills to access information, explore new concepts, and engage deeply with the full breadth of the curriculum.

We aim to nurture confident readers who can access information that will support their development across all curriculum areas, and who develop an enjoyment of reading that will enrich their lives. At St. Luke’s, reading for pleasure is a priority. We encourage our children to discover the joy of reading, knowing that it will not only support their academic growth but also instil a lifelong passion for books and stories.

Our goal is for all children to leave St. Luke’s as lifelong readers, with a deep love for reading that will stay with them long into their future. All children are supported to reach their God-given potential and this is something we are proud of.

Early Reading at St. Luke's Primary School 

We teach early reading through the systematic, synthetic phonics programme Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. Right from the start of Reception children have a daily phonics lesson which follows the progression for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds and this continues in Year One to ensure children become fluent readers.

We teach phonics for 30 minutes a day. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers.

Children make a strong start in Reception: teaching begins in Week 2 of the Autumn term. Four new phonemes and their corresponding graphemes are taught (GPCs) each week and they are then used in the final lesson of the week to review the week’s learning. Children will also learn tricky words during these sessions.

In the Autumn and Spring term, Reception learn phase 2 and phase 3 GPCs and then will spend the final term learning phase 4.

Year 1 begin the Autumn term with 3 weeks of revision of phases 2, 3 and 4 before learning phase 5, which will be completed by the end of the year. Year 2 children will begin the year by revisiting phase 5 and other previously taught phases to ensure all children are completely confident with applying these GPCs in both their reading and also their writing.

Half termly assessments take place through Reception and Year 1 to help inform future teaching and help identify children who have gaps in their phonic knowledge and need additional practice. Daily assessment of learning also takes place within the classroom so staff can quickly identify any children who are in danger of falling behind and provide the appropriate daily ‘Keep Up’ intervention.

For support with the pronunciation of the phonemes taught, please refer to the videos below.

At St. Luke’s, we believe that every child should have the chance to discover the joy of reading. To inspire and nurture this love, we’ve created a Top 100 Reads list for each key stage – a carefully chosen collection of stories, poems, and non-fiction designed to spark imagination and encourage a lifelong passion for books.

Each list has been thoughtfully curated to give children the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of high-quality texts that celebrate different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. From much-loved classics to exciting new voices, our Top 100 Reads open the door to new worlds, characters, and ideas.

Whether it’s a timeless adventure, a modern favourite, or a thought-provoking tale, there’s something to capture the interest of every child. We hope these books will not only enrich their learning in school but also inspire a lifelong love of reading that continues far beyond the classroom

 

 

 

 

Teacher Recommendations

All staff are committed to promoting a love of reading and introducing a variety of authors on a daily basis. Each classroom also features a Book Recommendation Chalkboard. This board suggests book titles and authors for children to explore at home, and it has been a huge success. Many of our pupils return to share their thoughts about the books they've read, sparking lively conversations and further fuelling their ongoing love for reading.

Book Corners 

Each class at St. Luke’s has its own themed reading corner where children are able to relax and enjoy their favourite books. Children are encouraged to use this area throughout the day to promote a love and pleasure of reading in school.

 

 

Reading Champions

Each week, class teachers select a Reading Champion who has impressed with their reading progress and enthusiasm. The chosen champion receives a gold coin for our book vending machine, allowing them to choose a book of their choice to take home and keep. This is a hugely exciting incentive for our children, and the children look forward to it as a special recognition of their hard work and love for reading.

 Book Club 

 Our Lunchtime Book Club offers an extra opportunity for children to get comfortable and enjoy reading in a relaxed setting. They can sink into our huge reading bean bags, share books with their friends, and indulge in the joy of reading together during lunchtime—creating a fun and social way to engage with stories.

Reading Spine             

We have developed our Read Aloud Spine : a core set of books that are read aloud by teachers on a daily basis, modelling fluency and expression. These books are selected from a wide range and include stories from a variety of cultures, as well as well-known classics and some more modern favourites. Information about each author is displayed on every classroom door so that children are able to see what each author looks like and to find out other titles that they have written. Children of all ages love being read to, so we encourage children and parents to check if the local library has any of these on their shelves!

Data

At St. Luke's, we are proud that our children consistently perform above the national average in Reading. In the most recent Phonics Screening, 93% of our children passed, demonstrating their strong foundational reading skills. Furthermore, in 2024/25, 85% of our children achieved the expected standard, and 36% of our children achieved the higher standard in Key Stage 2 SATs. This is something we are proud of and reflects the high standards of teaching and learning in Reading.