Reading Curriculum Intent

At Wickham Market Primary School, we want to develop confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers who enjoy reading for pleasure and recognise its value as a source of enjoyment, knowledge and inspiration. We aim to nurture a genuine love of books by providing all children with opportunities to explore a wide range of authors, genres and texts, discover personal interests and share their reading experiences with others. Alongside developing fluency and comprehension, we want children to see themselves as readers. All children, including those who need additional support, are encouraged and supported to make progress and experience success.

Curriculum Implementation

Reading for pleasure is promoted through the creation of positive reading culture across the school. Teachers share class stories daily, exposing children to a rich variety of authors, genres, vocabulary and ideas. Children are encouraged to explore books that interest them, make free-choice reading selections and develop their own reading preferences. Reading fluency and comprehension are assessed termly and children take home a carefully matched reading book, alongside a book of their choosing of any difficulty level from the school library. This encourages children to both read widely and encounter increasing levels of vocabulary and complexity.

Reading is also made a social and enjoyable experience. As part of their reading lessons, children have opportunities to talk about books, share recommendations and discuss their responses through Book Talk, partner and group discussions, performance reading and daily class story sessions. These experiences help children develop confidence and enthusiasm, while strengthening their comprehension and oracy. Children in Year 5 and 6 are encouraged to take responsibility in the library through librarian roles. We have also invested in whole class sets of reading books to enrich and create further enthusiasm for class story time and the development of fluency. Events such as World Book Day, literacy linked Curiosity Cafes, trips to our local library and visits from authors help create a 'buzz' around reading at Wickham Market.

Following completion of the Essential Letters and Sounds phonics programme, pupils in Years 2–6 participate in a structured reading curriculum focused on fluency, close reading, extended close reading and independent reading. Regular assessment informs targeted support, including additional reading, phonics and intervention programmes. Adaptive teaching and carefully matched texts ensure all pupils, including those with SEND, can access learning, make progress and develop positive reading habits. The lowest 20% of readers are particularly targeted for extra reading from teachers, teaching assistants and volunteer readers.

Curriculum Impact

Children leave Wickham Market as confident, fluent readers who enjoy reading for pleasure and understand its value as a gateway to learning, imagination and personal development. They can discuss books thoughtfully, make recommendations, compare texts and draw upon a broad range of vocabulary and reading experiences.

Pupils demonstrate increasing fluency, accuracy and comprehension, enabling them to access the wider curriculum successfully. Through regular exposure to a diverse range of high-quality texts, children develop cultural awareness, curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world around them.