Reading

Our names are Mrs Lopez and Miss Cromwell and together we lead Reading and Phonics across the school. Along with all our staff, we are absolutely passionate about reading! 

St Leonard’s is a reading school and as such books sit at the heart of all we do. Reading is the gateway to independent learning and we passionately believe that our curriculum should open children's minds, develop a sense of wonder about the world around them, engage their natural curiosity and inspire them to be life-long learners. The explicit teaching of reading is integral to a child’s understanding and appreciation of the world around them; a platform that allows our children to see beyond what they know, share in cultural and diverse experiences and develop the vocabulary they need to effectively express themselves. Our bespoke framework and methodology that has been developed by us for the unique context of our learning community allows us to plan, teach and assess each child so as to meet and challenge each individual need. Our carefully structured and progressive curriculum is delivered through synthetic phonics, guided and whole class reading, home reading, reading across the curriculum, regular opportunities for independent reading and hearing carefully chosen quality texts read aloud every day. All of these are essential components to develop fluent, enthusiastic, critical readers who comprehend and interpret what they read. We will act quickly to identify and support children who are dropping behind and ensure we close gaps in learning. Our ambitious reading progression map is designed to give all learners, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs, the cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We aspire to develop a love of reading for both pleasure and information, opening up future opportunities for life in the 21st century.