PHONICS - Curriculum Intent

At Tickford Park Primary School, reading is at the heart of our curriculum and we believe that learning to read is the key to academic success.  Phonics teaching is recognised as an important component in the development of early reading skills. Our reading curriculum ensures that children have the opportunities for reading for practise, reading for meaning and reading for pleasure.  High quality phonics teaching provides children with skills to learn how to read (reading for practice) which enhances reading for meaning and makes reading more pleasurable. Therefore, phonics is a vital part of our curriculum as it lays the solid foundation from which all reading builds on.

A systematic approach

In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, we use a systematic synthetic phonics programme FFT - Success for All which is validated by the DFE. It is aligned to Letters and divided into 68 steps, each with opportunities for regular review and consolidation of learning. This programme allows our children to develop strong phonetic awareness and effective decoding, blending and segmenting skills. The programme sets out clear expectations that are laid out term by term from Foundation Stage to the end of Year 1. 

See website for further information: https://fft.org.uk/phonics/ 

Access to appropriate books

Each step has a corresponding GPC(s) and a fully decodable reading book (shared reader) that the children read. This ensures that the children can apply their phonetic knowledge. The Shared Readers include a range of genres that appeal to all readers by including familiar characters, settings and topics relevant to children of all ages. Progression is built-in throughout the programme with an increase in the level of challenge in the skills taught in each phase. 

Lessons and rigourous assessment

The lessons follow a review, teach, practise and apply cycle with regular opportunities for review and consolidation at a pace that ensures that children keep up. Embedded into the programme are rigorous assessments which allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning and quickly target pupils to ensure that they keep up rather than catch up.