We see reading as the key to unlocking all learning and instilling a love of books and fluency in reading is key to our Early Years and Key Stage One curriculum. 

Why is phonics important?

Phonics is the precursor to reading, writing and spelling. It provides a key foundation for children to develop crucial literacy skills that will carry them through life. Research shows that high quality phonics teaching effectively supports younger children to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional five months’ progress.

Children with accelerated reading skills are able to independently access other areas of the curriculum. The more progress they make with phonics, the more progress they will make across the board. 

How do we teach phonics?

At Northwick, we use the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme to begin our children’s reading and writing journey.  RWI is a method of learning which teaches letter sounds and synthetic phonics and has proven to get children off to a flying start with their literacy learning.   

Using RWI, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write.

Statutory Assessment

All Year One children sit the Phonics Screening Check.  Children who do not reach the threshold repeat the screening in Year 2 following further support. 

Phonics Success

Our strong phonics provision accelerates learning and enables our children to achieve better than the national average.