At St Charles’ School we are committed to giving each child every exciting opportunity we can to develop their English skills. We firmly believe that reading is the key to learning and that all children should be able to enter the magical worlds that books open up to us.

Throughout the school we use a range of exciting lessons to teach and nurture a love of reading and books.

Within Reception and Key Stage 1 classes phonics and reading are taught through the Jolly Phonics and Letters and Sounds programmes.

In Reception class children are taught phonics and reading on a daily basis. We use a range of exciting rhymes, songs, practical activities and outdoor learning to embed reading in a range of contexts, demonstrating to children the impact of reading in every aspect of life.

In Key Stage 1 children are taught phonics and reading on a daily basis. Children are given a wide range of opportunities to practise their phonics and reading through whole class shared reading, paired reading and guided reading with an adult.  There are also regular opportunities for children to read on an individual basis. Children are taught English through a novel based approach giving a wide range of rich and inspiring reading experiences and a range of genres.

In Key Stage 2 children are also taught English through a novel based curriculum. This enhances a deep love of literature across a range of genres, cultures and styles. Children are encouraged to develop their own love of genres and authors and to review their books objectively.

Once a week Year 4 and Year 6 pair together  and Year 3 and Year 5 pair together during our ‘Big Read’ session. During this 30 minutes children read to each other, share books they have read with their partner and the group. They give a brief outline of the book, the reason why they chose it and why others should read it.