Phonics

At Westwood Primary School, children begin to read in Reception using the synthetic Phonics scheme, DfE accredited, 'Jolly Phonics'. 

Phonics in EYFS

When children enter Westwood, in Autumn term EYFS, all children are taught to read in their whole class phonics lessons (5 x per week) and when reading either 1:1 or in small groups. By October half term, EYFS children will be organised into phonics groups. When ready, EYFS children will merge into groups with KS1. In these sessions there will be a focus on decoding skills to build reading independence and fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills. 

Children will progress through their skills from oral blending, to confident word reading and then applying digraphs within sentences. They will use their phonics books to support word reading and sentence reading. 

By the end of EYFS, all children meeting their early learning goal/working at age-expected level of reading will be reading yellow books. 

In whole class phonics sessions children will be taught Step 1 in Autumn Term, Step 2 in Spring Term and Step 3 in Summer Term.  

Phonics in KS1

Phonics group reading 

In Year 1, all children are being taught reading skills through phonics groups with the focus on reading strategies and comprehension skills, developing children’s fluency and independence.  By the summer term, it is expected that all those children working at age expected are reading blue level books. Year 2 children who are reading below green level books in September also access phonics groups with Year 1. 

Whole class phonics teaching 

In Year 1 and 2 children are taught 2x spelling lessons and 2x grammar lessons a week from the Jolly Phonics handbooks. 

Year 2 

In Year 2, children are taught 5x Guided Reading sessions fortnightly in Autumn term and weekly from Spring term. During the alternate weeks there is a focus on 1:1/group reading and independent reading/comprehension activities.