English
• Nursery to Year 3: Pupils also have access to e-books that correspond with their phonics stage, making it easier to practise at home. • By the end of Key Stage 1: Our goal is for every child to become a confident, fluent reader, ready to succeed in Key Stage 2. Children’s reading development is supported through: • Daily phonics (Infants) • Talk for Writing activities • Guided reading groups • Individual reading with fully book-banded texts • Access to engaging reading corners in every classroom Fostering a Love of Reading Our whole-school commitment to reading is evident in the environment we create. Each classroom features a dedicated reading area, and our newly renovated library offers an extensive collection of books for confident readers across Key Stages 1 and 2. The library uses an electronic borrowing system, allowing children and families to browse, reserve, and review books from home. We are also proud of our team of trained, DBS-checked reading volunteers who support children with one-to-one reading. If you’re interested in joining this team and making a difference, please speak to our staff—we’d love to welcome you.
Teaching Writing at Abbey: Talk for Writing
At Abbey, we use Talk for Writing, a powerful and proven approach developed by Pie Corbett. This method is rooted in the principle that children must be able to say what they want to write before putting pen to paper. If a child can’t articulate their ideas aloud, they’re likely to struggle when writing independently. Each Talk for Writing unit spans three to four weeks and follows a structured process: 1. Imitation – Children orally learn and internalise the key language structures of a model text. 2. Innovation – With support, they adapt the model, learning how to shape and structure their own writing through shared writing sessions. 3. Invention – Finally, pupils independently create their own pieces, applying what they've learned. To deepen their understanding, pupils apply their writing skills across the curriculum. This not only reinforces learning but helps children see writing as a purposeful tool in all areas of life.We also integrate Alan Peat’s Sentence Types and targeted grammar activities to ensure children develop the skills of punctuation, sentence structure, and syntax. Our staff follow a carefully mapped progression that aligns with the National Curriculum to introduce sentence types in a clear, age-appropriate sequence. Phonics at Abbey Our phonics teaching is systematic and highly effective. We follow the Department for Education’s Letters and Sounds programme alongside resources from Phonics Play to structure lessons, support planning, and ensure consistency across Early Years and Key Stage One. • Nursery (FS1): Children focus on Phase One, learning to distinguish between sounds in the environment, music, and speech. • Reception (FS2): Pupils move through Phases Two to Four, learning individual letter sounds, ‘tricky words’, digraphs, and trigraphs. More able children progress into Phase Five. • Year One: Most pupils work on Phase Five, exploring spelling patterns and high-frequency words, while others consolidate Phase Four. • Year Two: Children learn Phase Six, applying phonic knowledge to spelling and reading with fluency. To ensure all pupils stay on track, extra phonics sessions are provided throughout for any child needing further support. Reading at Abbey Our reading scheme is fully aligned with the phonics phases children are learning. In the Early Years, children are given books that match their current phonics knowledge, helping them practise decoding words and recognise ‘tricky words’. As fluency grows, children move onto book-banded texts appropriate for their reading level.
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