Through high-quality teaching at St. Andrew’s, it is our intention to nurture well-read, enthusiastic, insightful and knowledgeable readers. It is essential that our approach to teaching phonics and reading is accessible to all learners, regardless of background. We aim to instil a love of reading in our pupils through our literacy-rich environment, high quality texts and many opportunities to read in English and Reading lessons. 

It is our intention that by the time the children leave St Andrew’s, they are able to read fluently and with confidence and can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a range of genres, including poetry, and participate in discussions about books.

Little Wandle Rapid Catch-up assessments are used to identify the gaps in children’s phonic knowledge. Using this data, children are taught in targeted, focused groups in daily 25-minute Phonics sessions using the Rapid Catch-up resources – at pace. Sessions follow our St. Andrew’s Blue Print for the teaching of Phonics which has been specifically designed to ensure children quickly catch up to age-related expectations in Reading.

Our book journey at St. Andrew’s has been designed to be diverse, inspiring and enjoyable. Care has been taken to curate a journey from Year 3 through to Year 6 of texts from a range of eras, civilizations, viewpoints and cultures. Quality books, ranging from world-renowned classic authors to the latest in contemporary writers, have been selected that enhance our curriculum and expose pupils to a rich and varied reading experience.

Please see the documents below for more information.