At Coppull Parish Primary School, it is our intent to provide all pupils with a high-quality education in English that aligns with the National Curriculum and equips them to speak, read, and write fluently. Our aim is to enable children to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and emotions effectively, both orally and in writing, and to develop a lifelong love of language.
In the early stages of reading, phonics is prioritised to provide children with a strong foundation. Daily, systematic phonics teaching ensures that beginners develop the skills to decode and blend words successfully. Beyond phonics, we promote a love of reading across the school by embedding high-quality texts throughout the curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to read widely across fiction and non-fiction, helping them to develop knowledge of themselves, the world around them, and different cultures, while also enhancing comprehension skills and critical thinking.
It is our intention that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are confident and fluent readers who can access texts across the curriculum. This ensures that they are fully prepared for secondary education and have the literacy skills required for lifelong learning.
Writing is a central aspect of our curriculum. From Reception to Year 6, pupils are provided with frequent and purposeful opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills across a range of contexts. Our aim is to help pupils understand the writing process fully, enabling them to become confident and independent authors.
Through our book-led curriculum, children are inspired to write with purpose and for a range of audiences. This approach provides context and meaning for writing, fostering engagement and creativity. We also aim to broaden pupils’ vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, ensuring that they can apply these skills effectively across the English curriculum and other subjects.
Speech & Language: English provides extensive opportunities for developing speech and language. We emphasise exposure to a rich and varied vocabulary, drawn from high-quality texts and modelled language throughout the school. Children further develop their communication skills through drama, role play, discussions, and debates.
Mental Health & Well-being: Reading is promoted as a pleasurable and relaxing activity. Children have access to welcoming classroom reading areas, the school library, and a range of well-being texts in the Happiness Hub, allowing them to engage with literature in a reflective and enjoyable way.
Diversity: We actively promote a diverse range of high-quality texts, encouraging pupils to explore perspectives, cultures, and experiences beyond their own. Classroom reading areas are carefully curated to include books featuring varied characters, settings, and themes, supporting cultural awareness and enriching pupils’ understanding of the world.
At Coppull Parish Primary School, we prioritise fostering a love of reading in all children. We provide a well-structured programme that equips pupils with the skills to become confident, competent readers, from Reception through to the end of Key Stage 2.
Each class has a dedicated reading area with a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction texts, and teachers read high-quality texts to pupils during lessons and story times to develop enjoyment and comprehension. Pupils also have regular opportunities to read for pleasure independently.
Phonics (Reception – KS1):
Daily phonics sessions follow a Systematic Synthetic Phonics approach using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. This enables children to decode and blend words for reading, and segment for spelling. The principles of Little Wandle include:
Structured, high-quality whole-class teaching with clear daily lesson plans
Consistent terminology and resources used by staff, children, and parents
Effective use of repetition to reinforce learning
Regular, manageable assessment to ensure all children keep up
Pupils apply their phonic knowledge in reading decodable books matched to their current phase and gradually develop awareness of story structure and character development. Guided and whole-class reading sessions also focus on comprehension. Pupils at Phase 5 phonics and below take home a decodable book and a sharing book to encourage reading for pleasure with their families.
Key Stage 2:
As children progress, they move from reading schemes to real books, carefully banded to match their reading ability. Pupils can select from a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, and Project X books to develop skills and engagement. Weekly guided reading or whole-class reading sessions focus on comprehension, fluency, and critical thinking.
Teachers plan lessons using high-quality texts, including extracts from classic literature, to explore authorial style, characterisation, and plot development. Pupils are encouraged to read independently and bring in personal reading choices to foster a love of reading.
Throughout the school, reading for pleasure is actively promoted through regular library sessions, book swaps, author visits, and author spotlights. Staff receive ongoing training in reading pedagogy and assessment to ensure that all children continue to develop as confident, fluent, and enthusiastic readers.