We aim for all children to leave St Luke’s School with an enjoyment and fluency in their reading. Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn.

In order to achieve this:

• Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 use Read, Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their reading and writing.

This is a method of learning centred around letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children in their reading and writing. Children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put their energy into composing what they write.

• A range of strategies will be used to teach accuracy and fluency across the whole school with supporting age appropriate displays in every classroom.

RWI (detailed by following the link above) is a systematic approach for teaching children to read and write using phonics... 

The School's teaching of spelling works on providing the children with strategies, knowledge and skills the children need to learn spelling in school, at home and as they progress through their education.

The focus of the spelling programme (which is detailed in the link above) is on the teaching of spelling patterns and rules but does also including statutory words, common exceptions and personal spellings. The requirements of the National Curriculum is organised into strands and then broken down into termly overviews. The overall pathway can be found below while termly overviews are used by the teachers with half termly plans. Lessons follow a model of five spelling sessions across two weeks, except in Year 2 where sessions are daily. Each lesson is approximately 10 to15 minutes long, but lesson plans are flexible so that the teaching can reflect the extra time needed on a teaching point if required...