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Reading, Writing & Phonics

Intent

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

At St. Anne’s, we believe that a high-quality English curriculum empowers children to become articulate, literate, and inspired individuals. Our approach to English is deeply rooted in our understanding of the needs and potential of our pupils. Through the structured and knowledge-rich CUSP Reading and Writing curriculum, we aim to develop confident readers, expressive writers, and thoughtful speakers who engage deeply with language and literature.

The CUSP English curriculum at St. Anne’s is built on a carefully sequenced literature spine, designed to give all pupils access to a wide range of high-quality, diverse and challenging texts. These texts are deliberately chosen not only for their literary merit but also for how they connect with our wider curriculum, helping pupils explore key themes, deepen understanding, and build cultural capital.

Children read, write, and speak every day. Over 18 reading blocks per year, pupils explore texts in depth through explicit vocabulary instruction, fluency development, comprehension and oracy. Reading and writing is fully integrated, with writing outcomes often linked to the texts studied. This ensures that pupils write with purpose, authenticity and increasing technical control.

At St. Anne’s, English is not just a subject—it is a gateway to the wider world. By developing children’s confidence and skill in reading, writing, speaking and listening, we prepare them to participate fully in their communities, now and in the future. We want all of our pupils to aspire to be more—and language is how they get there.

Implementation

Our English curriculum is built on the evidence-based structure of CUSP Reading and Writing, incorporating the principles of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and a strong commitment to vocabulary development and fluency.

  • Each year group follows a clearly mapped literature spine, consisting of 18 blocks per year (each lasting two weeks). Texts are carefully chosen to ensure breadth, depth, and connection with wider curriculum content.

  • Reading is explicitly taught through a consistent structure that includes:

    • Vocabulary instruction

    • Fluency development

    • Detailed comprehension of key ideas and themes

    • Opportunities for pupils to think hard and deepen their understanding

  • Pupils read whole books wherever possible and encounter additional texts to support background knowledge, comprehension and literary appreciation.

  • In Key Stage 1, reading is taught alongside daily phonics using Read Write Inc. to ensure strong early decoding skills. CUSP Reading lessons build vocabulary and comprehension from the earliest stages.

  • In Key Stage 2, reading lessons continue to follow the CUSP model, with pupils applying their growing understanding through structured lessons that promote discussion, analysis and reflection.

  • Writing is taught through carefully sequenced lessons that allow pupils to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Children are taught to write fluently, accurately and creatively. Sentence-level work is embedded in reading and writing lessons and writing is developed daily across the curriculum.

  • Each CUSP lesson is structured around six key phases:

    1. Connect – linking new learning with prior knowledge

    2. Explain – introducing vocabulary and new concepts explicitly

    3. Example – teacher modelling using quality texts

    4. Attempt – guided practice with scaffolding

    5. Apply – independent application and fluency building

    6. Challenge – extending thinking and applying knowledge in new contexts

  • Oracy is embedded across the curriculum. Pupils are taught to speak with confidence, clarity and purpose. They rehearse ideas through talk, respond thoughtfully to others, and present their thinking in structured ways.

  • Handwriting and spelling is taught regularly and systematically. Handwriting is practised a minimum of three times a week in KS1 and twice weekly in KS2 to promote fluent, legible writing. Spelling patterns and rules are embedded through CUSP’s cumulative approach.

  • A culture of reading for pleasure is actively promoted through class libraries, book talk, reading ambassadors, themed reading weeks, author events, and competitions such as the Fantastic Book Awards.

  • Home reading is highly valued. Children are expected to read daily, with books carefully matched to their phonics stage or reading level. Reading records are monitored closely and children read in school to an adult at least once a week.

Impact

The impact of our English curriculum is measured through a range of formative and summative methods. Daily feedback, discussion, vocabulary usage and written outcomes help teachers identify strengths and next steps. Retrieval practice is embedded throughout units, and assessment is used to inform responsive teaching.

Pupils at St. Anne’s leave us as capable, thoughtful and creative communicators, with a deep appreciation for language and literature. They read widely, write purposefully and speak with clarity and confidence—ready to thrive in the next stage of their education and life beyond school
 

Phonics

At St Anne’s Primary School we teach our children to read using the Read Write Inc phonics scheme (RWI). We believe that RWI provides the foundations of learning to help children develop into fluent readers. Children learn the 44 common sounds in the English language and how to blend these to read. The use of pictures and memorable phrases is used to aid children's retention and recall of phonemes for reading and spelling. 

Implementation

At St Anne’s phonics is taught across Reception and KS1 during a daily session each morning.  This is carefully delivered through a range of progressive and sequenced lessons. Following a half termly assessment, phonics groups are carefully planned to ensure focused phonics teaching is delivered for the specific needs of all pupils. Children learn alongside other children who are working at the same level. 

Each session is split into sections.  The speed sounds section includes the teaching, reading and spelling of new sounds and the review of previously taught sounds. Phonic sounds are taught in 3 sets that children progress through across Reception & KS1.

The reading section gives children the opportunity to apply their phonic knowledge and developing reading skills in context. Children progress through the coloured books as their early reading skills develop and the teaching of common exception words align with this. We use a range of fully decodable books which have been carefully organised to match the sounds that our children learn each week. Our children take home a decodable ‘Book Bag Book’ so that they are able to apply their new knowledge and phonic skills at an appropriate level. 

Our phonics sessions are fast paced, clearly modelled, interactive and challenging to ensure effective learning and progress is made.

Outside of the daily phonics session, opportunities are given in classroom environments for children to further apply and practise their developing phonics skills.

Assessment

Each half term, children on the RWI programme complete a phonic assessment. These assessments support the planning of the next half term's phonics groups, to ensure that phonics teaching is being specifically delivered to support all children’s individual next steps. These assessments also help us to appraise the impact of our curriculum, whilst also informing teachers' planning for extra phonics and early reading progression outside of the daily phonics session.  Children’s phonics knowledge and early reading skills are assessed as part of EYFS profile assessment at the end of Reception and by undertaking the Phonics Screening Test at the end of Year 1.

Impact 

Our curriculum aim is that children flourish into fluent, confident young readers and enjoy their phonics learning. Children know more, remember more and understand more about phonics, demonstrating this knowledge in all areas of the curriculum involving reading and writing. Children will be given a range of opportunities to showcase their developing phonics and early reading skills throughout the school day.

Home reading is very important and takes high priority at St Anne's. We work hard to promote a positive reading culture across the school and work together with parents to support them with home reading at school. 

Children have access to a wide range of different books and are expected to read daily. 

In Reception and KS1, children’s home reading books are linked to the phonics phase they are secure at. In KS2, children’s home reading books are linked to their reading ability. Children have a reading level which staff and children use to choose suitable books. Parents are asked to make comments and sign their child’s Home Reading Record to show that they have supported their child with their reading. These comments are used by staff to monitor the frequency of reading at home and provide additional support to children in school.  

We celebrate the efforts of children with their home reading at St Anne's during our Friday Award Assemblies. The class with the highest percentage of books returned each week is awarded William - the school reading worm - to display in their class and a sweet treat to celebrate their success! 

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