Phonics and Spelling
Intent
At Old Hill Primary School, we believe that reading is the key that unlocks learning across the entire curriculum. Our aim is for every child to become a confident, fluent reader who develops a lifelong love of reading.
Phonics forms the foundation of our early reading curriculum. Through high-quality systematic phonics teaching, children learn how the sounds in spoken language are represented by letters and groups of letters. This knowledge enables them to decode unfamiliar words, read with increasing fluency and develop confidence as independent readers.
At Old Hill Primary School, phonics teaching begins in Nursery, where children develop early phonological awareness through listening games, rhymes, songs and oral blending activities. This ensures that children begin Reception ready to build secure phonics knowledge.
We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to ensure phonics is taught in a clear, structured and progressive way. Our approach ensures that children develop secure phonics knowledge while also developing a love of books, stories and language.
As children move through the school, phonics knowledge is built upon through the teaching of spelling patterns, morphology and word structure so that pupils continue to develop accuracy, confidence and independence in both reading and writing.
Our ambition is that every child leaves Old Hill Primary School as a fluent reader who can access the full curriculum and enjoy reading for pleasure.
Implementation
Phonics is taught daily from the beginning of Reception using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. Lessons follow a carefully structured sequence which enables children to practise recognising graphemes, saying the corresponding phonemes and blending sounds together to read words.
Teaching is systematic and progressive, ensuring that children build knowledge step by step. Staff model accurate pronunciation and provide frequent opportunities for pupils to practise blending and segmenting sounds when reading and writing.
Children read books that are fully matched to the phonics knowledge they have been taught, allowing them to practise decoding with confidence and develop fluency. Reading practice sessions take place regularly and focus on three key areas:
• decoding
• prosody (reading with expression)
• comprehension
Children who require additional support receive Keep Up sessions to ensure that they are able to keep pace with the phonics programme. These sessions are carefully planned to revisit and secure previously taught sounds so that no child falls behind.
In Year 1, pupils take part in the national Phonics Screening Check, which assesses their ability to decode words using phonics knowledge and ensures that children have developed secure early reading skills.
As pupils move into Key Stage 2, the focus shifts towards developing spelling accuracy and understanding spelling patterns. Pupils learn about prefixes, suffixes, root words and spelling conventions so that they can apply their knowledge confidently within their writing.
Impact
The impact of our phonics and spelling curriculum is that pupils become confident readers who are able to decode unfamiliar words, read fluently and understand what they read.
Children develop secure phonics knowledge which supports them in becoming independent readers. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are able to apply their phonics knowledge effectively when reading and writing, preparing them well for the demands of the wider curriculum.
Our structured phonics programme ensures that the vast majority of pupils successfully meet the expected standard in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check. Those who require additional support receive targeted teaching to help them secure the knowledge they need to become fluent readers.
As pupils progress through the school, their increasing knowledge of spelling patterns and word structures enables them to write with greater accuracy and confidence.
Our approach ensures that pupils leave Old Hill Primary School with the reading skills they need to succeed in their future education and to enjoy reading throughout their lives.
Leadership of Early Reading
Early reading is a key priority at Old Hill Primary School. The teaching of phonics is carefully monitored to ensure consistency and high quality across the school. Staff receive regular training and coaching so that phonics is delivered with fidelity to the Little Wandle programme.
Leaders regularly review phonics teaching, pupil progress and assessment information to ensure that all pupils are developing secure early reading skills. Where children require additional support, targeted teaching and intervention are put in place quickly so that pupils are able to catch up and succeed.
Through this strong focus on early reading, we ensure that every child has the best possible start to their reading journey.
Supporting Reading at Home
Parents play an important role in helping children develop their reading skills. At Old Hill Primary School we encourage families to support reading at home by listening to their child read regularly and sharing a wide range of books together.
Children take home books that are carefully matched to their phonics knowledge so they can practise the sounds they have learned in school.
We also provide guidance and resources to help parents understand how phonics is taught so they can confidently support their child’s reading development.
Phonics Progression
Phonics teaching at Old Hill Primary School follows the structured progression outlined in the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. This ensures that children learn new sounds and spelling patterns in a carefully sequenced order so that knowledge builds securely over time.
Children progress from developing early listening skills in Nursery to secure decoding and fluent reading by the end of Key Stage 1. As pupils move into Key Stage 2, this knowledge supports the development of accurate spelling and confident writing.
Key Documents and Resources
Parents and carers can find further information about our phonics approach below:
• Little Wandle Letters and Sounds overview
• Phonics progression document
• Guide to supporting phonics at home
• Information about the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
reception grapheme information sheet autumn 1.pdf
reception grapheme information sheet autumn 2.pdf
Phase 3 overview
how to say phase 3 sounds august 2022 .pdf
Year 1 overview
programme overview reception and year 1 june 2025.pdf
