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Villiers Primary School
English - Phonics and Reading
Phonics
Phonics plays an integral part of our curriculum, ensuring all children in EYFS and KS1 are taught to read as soon as possible. The Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised scheme supports children in recognising all 44 phonemes in the English alphabetical code and are taught how to blend these sounds in order to read alternative graphemes. We ensure that these lessons begin as soon as children enter Nursery. Taking a huge priority, phonics is taught for thirty minutes each day with additional interventions for children in the lowest 20% of their cohort.
Children are expected to complete Foundation in Phonics in Nursery, Phases 2, 3 and 4 in Reception, Phase 5 in Year 1 and a Spelling Scheme in Year 2, where they will finish the programme.
Throughout the year we complete half-termly assessments to ensure children are placed in the correct groups and are steadily progressing.
For more information about the Phonics programme we follow, visit:
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
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We are proud to be a Little Wandle Champion School, having met all 16 standards of excellence in the teaching of early reading and phonics. This recognition reflects our commitment to high-quality practice and strong outcomes for our pupils. As a Champion School, we also welcome visitors from schools across the country who come to observe and learn from our approach, supporting the wider development of effective phonics teaching.
Phonics Workshop
See below resources shared from our Phonics workshops for Reception and Year 1.
Reading
We place great importance on fostering a love of reading across our school and celebrate this through a range of special events and themed days throughout the year. These include World Book Day, Roald Dahl Day, and National Poetry Day, where pupils and staff come together to share stories, explore different authors and genres, and take part in creative activities. These celebrations help to inspire enthusiasm for reading, broaden pupils’ literary experiences, and create a vibrant reading culture within our school community.
Books for Classrooms
Keeping our class book shelves inviting and engaging with another delivery!
Our School Library
Alice Francis was one of the first ever pupils at Villiers. She thoroughly enjoyed her time here as a student and referred to Villiers throughout her life.
She sadly died 28th October 2020 after a short illness.
Alice’s family have generously donated funds towards new books for our children to enjoy, as she loved reading so much.
We now have a dedicated area for Alice in our library with fantasy books, to remind children to always follow their dreams.
Alice Francis - thank you.
Books outside the classroom
We don't just limit our reading books and other reading materials to classrooms. We have a huge range of texts available to read from our reading sheds on both our playgrounds. We also have a book vending machine which dispenses books based on children gaining rewards in class and children can keep these books at home.
Books on request
We actively encourage pupils to take ownership of their reading for pleasure by giving them opportunities to request books that interest and inspire them. Whether through our book fairs or at various points throughout the year, children are invited to share their preferences and suggest titles they would like to see in our collection. This helps to ensure our reading offer reflects their interests, while also fostering excitement and enthusiasm around books. By valuing pupil voice in this way, we nurture a genuine love of reading and support children in developing lifelong reading habits.
Graphic Novels have been flavour of the month!
Villiers' Voices
Our “Villiers' Voices” initiative provides pupils with regular opportunities to develop their speaking and performance skills through poetry. At the end of each day, children practise and rehearse their Year Group poem aloud, building familiarity and expression over time. Each half term, pupils perform their poem as a class with growing confidence and pride. This daily practice supports the development of fluency in reading, strengthens oracy skills through clear articulation and expression, and builds self-confidence when speaking in front of others. Through Villiers' Voices, children learn to enjoy the rhythm and language of poetry while developing essential communication skills. Take a look at our anthology of poems below.
Reading Incentive
We encourage all pupils to develop a love of reading at home through our rewarding reading scheme. In EYFS and KS1, children earn certificates and house points for every 10 reads completed, with additional rewards including prizes every 50 reads and a book from the vending machine every 100 reads, up to 250 reads. In KS2, pupils receive certificates and house points for every 25 reads, alongside prizes at 100 reads and a vending machine book at 200 reads, continuing up to 500 reads. Each “read” is recorded when a child reads at home for at least 10 minutes, helping to build consistent reading habits and celebrate pupils’ commitment to reading for pleasure.
