English
Phonics
We believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will ever learn. Our aim is to create confident, fluent readers who not only understand the texts they read, but also develop a lifelong love of reading.
We use the Read, Write Inc. phonics programme, a structured and highly effective approach that helps children learn to read accurately and fluently. Phonics teaching begins as soon as children start in Reception and continues through Year 2. Pupils are grouped by their reading stage, ensuring each child is taught at the right level to make the best possible progress.
Our dedicated Reading Leader oversees the programme, ensuring high-quality, consistent teaching and providing tailored one-to-one support when needed. Children learn to decode sounds, blend them into words, and develop expression and fluency. We also promote a love of storytelling, encouraging children to read with confidence and enthusiasm.
Progress is regularly assessed through both national checks and in-school assessments, so we can quickly identify and support children who may need extra help.
By the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2), our goal is for every child to be a skilled, independent reader, ready to take on the wider curriculum with confidence.
Reading
Reading feeds into all areas of the curriculum and is, therefore, at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to ensuring that every child leaves our school as a confident, fluent reader with a lifelong love of books. We want our pupils not only to read well, but to experience the joy, pleasure, and power that reading brings.
Through a wide range of high-quality texts, we help children explore different genres, authors and cultures. Our reading curriculum is designed to spark curiosity, develop empathy, and deepen children’s understanding of the world around them. We aim for every pupil to see themselves reflected in the books they read, while also learning about lives and experiences different from their own.
As children grow, we move from teaching them how to read, to helping them read to learn: we help our pupils make meaningful connections across subjects building strong comprehension skills, broad vocabulary, and the confidence to discuss, question, and recommend books to others.
We work closely with families to foster a strong home-school reading culture. By encouraging reading at home and at school, we aim to create a community of passionate, thoughtful readers who carry their love of books into the future.
We follow the Master Readers: Excellence After Phonics programme, developed by the English Hub, to build on the foundations of phonics and move children into deeper, more meaningful reading.
From Year 2 to Year 6, we use a whole-class reading approach. This allows all children to access and enjoy high-quality, challenging texts while developing the skills needed to understand, analyse, and discuss what they read.
Key features of our approach include:
- Whole-book teaching, with varied and rich texts across fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
- Daily reading discussions, where pupils explore language, themes, and meaning together.
- Frequent modelling, with teachers reading aloud to demonstrate fluency and expression.
- Partner and group reading, supporting oracy and collaboration.
- Vocabulary development, helping pupils select and use words with purpose and precision.
- Assessment and feedback, ensuring every child progresses and receives the support they need.
- Intervention support, such as 'Fresh Start' phonics, for older pupils who need extra help.
- Every child reads widely and often, with opportunities to hear stories, read independently, and share their thoughts with others.
Our library is available to all pupils, who visit it regularly and often. Our rich curriculum, diverse library, and regular reading celebrations all help to embed reading into the fabric of our school.
By the time children leave Rivermead, they are prepared to thrive in the next stage of their education — not just with the skills to succeed, but with the confidence and curiosity to keep exploring through reading. We want all our pupils to leave Rivermead not just able to read — but loving to read!
Writing
We believe writing is a powerful tool which enables children to express themselves, influence others, and connect with the world around them. Our writing curriculum is designed to build confident, skilled communicators who understand grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary, and know how to use these elements effectively.
Writing is taught daily and woven throughout the wider curriculum, ensuring that children learn to write for a variety of real-life contexts.
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Reception and Year 1
Writing is taught through the Read Write Inc. programme, which links phonics, reading, and writing in daily lessons. Children develop vocabulary and ideas through reading core texts, then apply these in writing tasks. Each session supports spelling, handwriting, composition, and verbal rehearsal, helping young writers build strong foundations. -
Year 2 and beyond pupils follow a three-phase English model:
1. Explore and analyse quality text
2. Develop ideas through drama, discussion, and grammar in context
3. Write independently, reflect, and improve.
Writing is embedded across subjects, with regular opportunities to write in topic work, science, and more, ensuring children write with purpose and across a range of genres.
Children are assessed on how well they retain and apply writing knowledge and skills over time. Through this approach, we ensure that all children develop the fluency, accuracy, and confidence needed to become accomplished writers.