Hambrough Primary and Nursery School

Intent

At Hambrough Primary School, reading is a fundamental life skill and a core driver of academic success. Our intent is that all pupils become confident, fluent and motivated readers, regardless of background or starting point, enabling them to access the full curriculum and succeed in school and beyond. 

We aim to: 

• Develop strong decoding, fluency and comprehension skills 

• Foster a love of reading for pleasure 

• Build pupils’ vocabulary, cultural capital and general knowledge 

• Ensure reading success is not limited by social or economic disadvantage 

• Equip pupils with the strategies needed to read widely, critically and independently 

Reading is prioritised daily and is central to our curriculum design. 

 

Implementation  

Our reading curriculum is carefully sequenced, ambitious and inclusive, aligned with the EYFS Statutory Framework and the National Curriculum for English. 

Early Reading 

• In EYFS and KS1, pupils learn to read through daily systematic synthetic phonics using Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS). 

• Teaching follows a clearly defined progression, ensuring pupils acquire secure decoding and blending skills. 

• Reading books are closely matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge, ensuring success and confidence. 

• Pupils who fall behind receive targeted intervention. 

Reading Beyond Phonics 

• From KS1 to KS2, pupils engage in daily whole‑class reading. 

• Teaching focuses explicitly on VIPERS reading skills, with progression from one skill per week in KS1– lower KS2 to one skill per day in upper KS2. 

• Reading and writing are taught through structured teaching sequences, including:  

• Teacher read‑aloud and modelling 

• Opportunities for pupils to read aloud to develop oracy and confidence 

• Carefully chosen Core Texts, linked to diverse curriculum themes, are deliberately more challenging than pupils’ independent reading level, supporting deep comprehension and vocabulary development. 

• Additional link texts broaden understanding, deepen vocabulary and strengthen curriculum connections. 

Reading Culture 

• Pupils read widely through:  

• Class texts and recommended reads 

• School and class libraries 

• Home reading books and online platforms, such as ActiveLearn 

• Independent reading, daily story time and regular reading for pleasure sessions promote enjoyment and motivation. 

• Reading is embedded across the curriculum, creating a literature‑rich environment. 

Assessment and Support 

• Reading comprehension is formally assessed termly. 

• Statutory assessments take place in Reception and Year 6. 

• Pupils not meeting age‑related expectations receive additional targeted support, including 1:1 reading, small‑group intervention and school tuition. 

 

Impact  

As a result of our coherent and well‑implemented reading curriculum: 

• Pupils learn to read accurately, fluently and with understanding 

• Pupils develop strong comprehension strategies and rich vocabulary 

• Reading gaps are identified early and closed quickly 

• Pupils read confidently across all subjects 

• Pupils leave Hambrough as enthusiastic, independent readers with a genuine love of reading 

• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education and life beyond school