Phonics

Scheme title 

Term 1, 2 and 3 

Daily Phonics 

Rationale for Scheme 

At Walton le Dale High School, we educate students with varying reading skills.  

• Good comprehension but poor word reading (top left-hand quadrant) 

• Poor comprehension and poor word reading (bottom left-hand quadrant) 

Intent of the Scheme 

• Providing students with the building blocks of reading so that they can decode texts in all curriculum subjects and within their daily lives. 

• Closing the gap between students’ chronological age and their reading age. 

How does it work? 

From September 2023, we have initiated two programmes to help students to become more competent readers.  One of these programmes is for those with gaps in their phonics knowledge:  

• Fresh Start Phonics – daily phonics sessions for those in the top left-hand quadrant 

Knowledge in sequence 

Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know (National Curriculum - English) 

Skills 

Students will develop confidence in reading aloud by using the Fresh Start Phonics modules. 

Component Assessments 

Students are assessed, in a low-stakes manner, in every session; the small-group sessions facilitate continuous assessment and the teacher is able to use adaptive methods to ensure gaps are identified and filled. 

Composite Assessment 

Students are assessed at intervals to see whether they are able to come off the programme and enter the ‘daily reading’ pathway. 

The reading ages of students receiving phonics intervention are evaluated before stopping phonics intervention and staring daily reading. 

SMSC 

SMSC stands for Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development, which refers to the broader personal development of children and young people.  

At Walton le Dale, this encompasses our Learning for Life curriculum (PSHEE) and wider personal development provision.   

It encompasses a wide range of values, beliefs, and experiences that shape an individual's identity and understanding of the world around them. SMSC is a crucial aspect of education, as it helps children and young people develop a strong sense of self and an awareness of their place in society. 

Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development.  

The books chosen, are diverse in theme and allow students to consider moral, spiritual and cultural issues within the texts that they are reading and within their wider lives. 

The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their: 

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life 

• knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values 

• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them 

• use of imagination and creativity in their learning 

• willingness to reflect on their experiences 

The moral development of pupils is shown by their: 

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England 

• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions 

• interest  in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues. 

The social development of pupils is shown by their: 

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds 

• willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively  

• acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain 

The cultural development of pupils is shown by their: 

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others 

• understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain 

• ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across 
  cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities 

• knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain 

• willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities 

• interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities 

FBV 

Throughout the daily reading sessions, Fundamental British Values will also be taught by: 

• Enabling students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;  

• Enabling students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;  

• Encouraging students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;  

• Enabling students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England; 

• Embedding tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;  

• Encouraging respect for other people; and  

• Encouraging respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England. 

Students should develop the following knowledge and understanding as a result of teachers promoting FBV within their dily reading sessions, although some of these skills and knowledge will be developed in lesser or greater depth depending upon the content and themes of the books. 

• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process;  

• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety; 1 The Prevent strategy 2011: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-strategy-2011 5  

• An understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence;  

• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law;  

• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour; and  

• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.