Reading at Newlyn School

At Newlyn School, we believe that reading is central to every aspect of learning. We are passionate about ensuring all children become enthusiastic, insightful, and confident readers.

This begins with phonics. We follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. Teaching starts from Reception, ensuring that children learn to decode words accurately, develop fluency, and build a strong foundation for lifelong reading. Through daily phonics sessions, children are equipped with the skills they need to read independently and with confidence.

To support this, we have developed a rich and inclusive reading programme that enables pupils to deepen their understanding across the curriculum, fosters a love of reading for pleasure, and celebrates the protected characteristics. Our carefully chosen class texts promote enjoyment and inclusivity, helping children to explore diverse perspectives and experiences.

Our writing curriculum is book-based, allowing children to analyse high-quality texts with purpose—developing their understanding both as readers and as writers. This dual lens approach helps pupils appreciate the craft of writing while building their reading skills.

In Key Stage 1 and 2, we use a novel study approach to reading, with explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies through the VIPERS framework (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, and Sequencing/Summarising). This ensures that children are equipped with the tools they need to engage deeply with texts and develop critical reading skills.

In addition to this, we also offer four Reading Group sessions each week. During these sessions, children work in small groups to improve their fluency and comprehension of short texts tailored to their reading level. This allows children to build confidence, practise reading aloud in a supportive environment, and develop key skills such as decoding, inference, and vocabulary acquisition. These sessions also provide opportunities for targeted teacher guidance and peer discussion, helping every child to make meaningful progress in their reading journey.