Reading

Reading Curriculum Intent — Bishops Lydeard Church School

Our reading curriculum intent is rooted in the school vision “Live life in all its fullness” and underpinned by high expectations for every pupil. We intend that pupils leave our school as fluent, confident readers who read for meaning, delight and knowledge across the curriculum. Reading is taught as a scaffold for learning in every subject and as a gateway to cultural capital and lifelong curiosity.

Reading Curriculum Design

We sequence reading using a clear progression derived from the National Curriculum so that coverage and taught contact explicitly build the knowledge and skills pupils must master. Year‑by‑year learning objectives are unpacked into small, teachable steps so teachers know precisely what to teach next and can check what pupils remember. Teaching follows a two‑week rolling cycle to balance foundation and higher‑order work: Week A focuses on fluency practice, intentional vocabulary teaching, frequent retrieval tasks and practice answering a wide range of question stems; Week B focuses on question‑type skills (for example inference, summarising, predicting, explaining author choice, and evaluating). This design ensures repeated, spaced retrieval of core knowledge and a gradual move from guided practice to independent application.

National Curriculum Expectations

• EYFS: Pupils develop communication and language, listening and attention, and foundational phonics and early reading skills. The aim is for children to make strong early progress in oral language, build vocabulary, attend to stories, and develop secure early decoding through systematic phonics so they are ready for the national curriculum.
• Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2): Pupils secure accurate and fluent decoding, develop literal comprehension and early inference skills, and expand spoken and reading vocabulary. By the end of KS1 pupils should be able to read age‑appropriate texts fluently, understand key ideas and answer a range of question types based on text.
• Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6): Pupils read increasingly complex texts for meaning and knowledge. Expectations include fluent automatic decoding, widening vocabulary, confident use of retrieval, inference, summarising and analysis of authorial intent, and reading across genres and subjects. Pupils should be able to use reading to learn new curriculum content and think critically about texts.

Inclusive Curriculum

All pupils are entitled to high‑quality reading instruction. We ensure access through careful scaffolding and adaptation informed by teachers’ secure knowledge of each pupil. Universal provision includes high‑quality, systematic phonics; pre‑teaching of vocabulary; dual‑coding and visual supports; differentiated question stems; and flexible grouping for targeted practice. For pupils on the SEND register or with EHCPs we adapt texts and tasks (shortened passages, increased processing time, multi‑sensory input, reading buddies, text overlays, audio versions) and use specialist plans so that expectations remain high and progress is measurable. Given our context, staff prioritise rapid identification, frequent retrieval practice and incrementally ambitious scaffolds that are removed as competence grows.

Vocabulary and Knowledge Development

Vocabulary and domain knowledge are taught deliberately and cumulatively so pupils can understand and remember increasingly complex texts. Each unit identifies tiered vocabulary, prior knowledge required and planned opportunities for re‑exposure. Teachers explicitly teach word meaning in context, model oral use, and build retrieval practice into the two‑week cycle so new vocabulary becomes durable knowledge that supports comprehension across subjects.

Fluency, Sequencing and Cognitive Load

Lessons are sequenced to reduce cognitive load and build automaticity. Each session begins with fluency and retrieval to stabilise foundations (decoding speed, previously taught vocabulary and factual recall), then progresses to breadth activities (reading varied short texts, oral discussion), and only then to higher‑order comprehension skills. This sequence ensures pupils practise automatic processes before tackling demanding inference and evaluation.

Assessment for Learning and Responsive Teaching

Assessment is formative, frequent and drives immediate, specific action. Teachers use short fluency checks, retrieval quizzes, cold/hot tasks and focused question probes linked to the two‑week cycle to identify gaps in knowledge or misconceptions. Information from these checks informs same‑day adaptations, targeted small‑group practice and next‑lesson planning so that weaknesses are addressed quickly and momentum maintained.

Teacher Expertise and CPD

All teachers are skilled in systematic synthetic phonics, explicit vocabulary instruction and diagnosis of comprehension barriers. CPD is focused, cumulative and classroom‑facing: modelling, joint planning, and short team teaching cycles that improve daily reading practice rather than generic training.

Home and Community Reading

We cultivate reading for pleasure and knowledge through accessible classroom libraries, matched decodable readers, and programmes that engage families in reading routines. Home reading is supported with clear guidance for parents and scaffolded activities that mirror school practice to secure cumulative gains despite high mobility.