Reading is at the heart of all we teach at St Cuthbert's school

Being able to read well is the key to unlocking all other subjects across the curriculum and increases the opportunities and pathways post primary school.

Our English curriculum develops and nurtures a love of reading and enables the children to creatively express thoughts and ideas through the spoken and written word. We aim to provide a language rich environment that reflects the taught curriculum, where children have access to quality literature from a diverse range of authors and where speaking and listening are valued by all.

The school uses a systematic and progressive phonics programme to teach children to read, called ELS.  This programme is in place from Nursery and is used at times into Key Stage 2 for those pupils who require additional phonics support or those pupils who are new to English language.

At St Cuthbert’s we aim for every child to be a fluent and confident reader, who is able to articulate themselves effectively through both spoken and written forms.  Writing and reading provision is stimulating, engaging and both scaffolds and challenges children in order that they secure the literacy skills required to achieve well post primary school; to be able to positively contribute and participate fully as a member of the wider community.

We value children's reading and the importance of parental partnership with this.

We keep records of children's reading at home, in reading record books that are tailored to each phase of primary school: EYFS, KS1 and KS2.  In each reading record there is a guide for parents as to what books they should expect to come home, how these are monitored by the teacher and how they, as parents, can support with reading at home.

Parents are encouraged to attend our reading workshops, where they can find out about progression in reading, our phonics scheme of work and how we assess children in reading.  Parents also come into school during Love of Reading week to share favourite books with the children.