ST. JOHN'S
Church of England Primary School, Hindley Green
QUEST Trust
Our family
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ST. JOHN'S Church of England Primary School, Abram -
ST. JOHN'S Church of England Primary School, Hindley Green -
ST. PETER'S Church of England Primary School -
QUEST TRUST Supporting Young People from Early Years to Employment -
PLAY PALS Childcare Limited -
HINDLEY GREEN Community Primary School -
UNIVERSITY Collegiate School
Reading and Phonics
At QUEST Trust, we believe that reading is the key to unlocking learning, imagination, and opportunity. We are committed to developing confident, fluent readers who enjoy books and understand the world around them.
Our Reading Approach
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. We teach children to:
- Read accurately and fluently
- Understand what they read
- Develop a love of books and stories
Children experience reading in many ways, including:
- Daily phonics and reading lessons
- Shared class stories and novels
- Independent reading
- Regular opportunities to talk about books and authors
We teach early reading using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a systematic and synthetic phonics programme approved by the Department for Education.
Phonics is taught daily from the start of Reception and continues until children become confident and fluent readers. All staff in school have received training in this programme.
What is Little Wandle?
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised:
- Teaches children the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes)
- Helps children learn to blend sounds to read words
- Supports children to segment words for spelling
- Follows a clear progression so children build knowledge securely
The programme is:
- Structured and consistent
- Fully aligned with current reading research
- Inclusive and supportive of all learners
Little Wandle provides helpful videos and guidance for parents, which we signpost through our school social media pages. Further to this, please click the link below to access the ‘For Parents’ page on the Little Wandle website. Here, you will find a wealth of helpful guidance such as the information sheets explaining how to say the sounds correctly.
How Phonics is Taught
Children take part in:
- Daily phonics lessons following the Little Wandle progression
- Daily keep-up sessions for any child who needs extra support
- Regular assessment to ensure teaching meets each child’s needs
Lessons are interactive, fast-paced, and fun, helping children to develop confidence and success in early reading.
Reading Practice Books
Children who are learning to read take home:
- A fully decodable reading practice book, carefully matched to the phonics they are learning
- A fluency reading book for children to confidently read and share with parents and carers enjoyment
Reading practice books are:
- Matched precisely to each child’s current phonics stage
- Designed to build fluency and confidence
Reading at Home
We encourage families to support reading at home by:
- Listening to your child read their decodable book regularly, our school expected is 3x a week.
- Reading stories together and talking about them
- Celebrating reading as part of everyday life
Beyond Phonics
Once children become fluent readers, phonics teaching is replaced by:
- Whole class reading lessons
- A focus on comprehension, vocabulary, and inference
- Exposure to a wide range of high-quality texts
Our aim is for every child to leave our school as a confident, enthusiastic reader.
How We Support All Readers
We ensure that:
- Any child who falls behind receives timely support
- Teaching is inclusive and adapted where needed
- Reading progress is closely monitored
Reading is a priority for all staff, and we work together to support every child’s success.
Wider School Reading
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We actively promote a love of reading across the school through a rich and varied reading culture that celebrates books, stories and authors throughout the year.
- World Book Day is celebrate with enthusiasm, giving children opportunities to dress up, share favourite books, and take part in exciting reading-focused activities that inspire imagination and enjoyment.
- During National Storytelling Week, pupils and staff come together to share stories, listen to readings, and celebrate the power of storytelling across all year groups.
- We enhance pupils’ reading experiences through author visits, allowing children to meet real writers, hear first-hand about the creative process, and feel inspired to read and write for pleasure.
- Our Scholastic Book Fair provides children with access to a wide range of high-quality texts, encouraging book ownership and supporting families to engage with reading at home.
- Bramhall’s Reading Ambassadors play a key role in promoting reading across the school by leading initiatives, recommending books, supporting younger readers, and championing reading for pleasure.
- Our Ready Steady Read initiative encourages regular reading at school and at home, helping children to build confidence, fluency and a lifelong love of books.