Phonics

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Phonics – Curriculum Intent Statement

Purpose of the Subject

Through phonics, we aim to develop confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers and writers who can decode accurately, spell effectively, and access the full richness of language. Phonics is the foundation for reading and spelling and underpins our vision for English: to empower children as confident readers, writers, speakers and listeners who can communicate effectively and creatively. Our approach is inclusive and strives for all learners to succeed. We aim for every child to develop a love of reading and positive attitudes towards phonics.

Alignment with the National Curriculum

We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, which meets and exceeds the National Curriculum requirements for systematic, synthetic phonics. This progression ensures mastery of the alphabetic code for reading and spelling from Nursery through to year 2.

In line with the National Curriculum, through phonics we teach children to:

• Read words accurately and fluently using systematic, synthetic phonics as the primary strategy.
• Blend and segment sounds to support both reading and spelling.
• Secure grapheme–phoneme correspondences (GPCs) and apply them confidently across phases (including alternative spellings).
• Spell with increasing accuracy, including common exception words and age-appropriate patterns.
• Build a foundation for writing by applying phonics skills to encode words and sentences.
• Decode unfamiliar words with independence, enabling access to a wide range of texts.
• Develop automaticity in word recognition so that cognitive load is reduced and comprehension can flourish.

Curriculum Coverage

Our phonics curriculum provides:

Mirrors – opportunities for children to see their identities, cultures and experiences reflected in the texts they read, with decodable books matched to their secure phonic stage.

Windows – opportunities to explore diverse voices and perspectives through carefully chosen texts and class read-alouds that broaden cultural understanding and vocabulary.

Teaching begins in Nursery (oral blending, rhymes, language-rich experiences) and builds through Reception and Year 1 following Little Wandle progression (Phases 2–5). Across the school, phonics knowledge is modelled and applied in shared reading and writing, supporting language development (speaking and listening). Year 2 children follow the Little Wandle spelling scheme.

Curriculum Progression

Our phonics curriculum is built around four interrelated strands of knowledge:

1. Procedural Knowledge (Reading and Spelling Skills)

Procedural knowledge represents the practical skills children need to decode, spell, and apply phonics in reading and writing. These skills are mapped in a vertically integrated progression from Nursery through Year 2. Children develop secure grapheme–phoneme correspondences (GPCs), blending and segmenting strategies, reading fluency, and accurate spelling. Using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, progression is systematic and cumulative, enabling pupils to move from oral blending and simple word decoding to fluent, expressive reading and confident application in writing. Daily practice, retrieval, and assessment checkpoints ensure automaticity and independence.

2. Disciplinary Knowledge (The ‘Big Ideas’ of Early Reading and Writing)

Disciplinary knowledge represents the conceptual frameworks that underpin phonics as a subject. These include:

• Alphabetic Principle – understanding that spoken sounds map to written symbols and how this underpins reading and spelling.
• Phoneme–Grapheme Correspondence – recognising the systematic relationships between sounds and letters, including alternative spellings.
• Blending and Segmenting – applying phonics knowledge to decode words for reading and encode words for writing.
• Fluency and Prosody – moving beyond accurate decoding to expressive, meaningful reading.
• Application in Writing – using phonics knowledge to spell accurately and support composition.
• Vocabulary and Meaning – connecting decoded words to their meaning and building language comprehension.
• Independence and Transfer – applying phonics skills across the curriculum and in unfamiliar contexts.

These concepts are taught, revisited, and applied throughout EYFS and Key Stage 1, helping children understand how the alphabetic code works and how it supports fluent reading and confident writing.

3. Substantive Knowledge (The Content We Teach)

Substantive knowledge represents the specific content children learn in phonics—what pupils should know, remember, and apply with accuracy. This includes:

• Grapheme–Phoneme Correspondences (GPCs):

Systematic coverage of single-letter sounds and common digraphs/trigraphs (e.g., sh, ch, th, ng; ai, ee, oa), taught cumulatively and revisited to secure recall.

• Phases of Progression (Little Wandle):

1. Phase 2–3: Introduction and consolidation of core GPCs; high‑frequency decodable words; initial blending and segmenting.
2. Phase 4: Words with adjacent consonants (CCVC, CVCC) and longer structures while maintaining accuracy.
3. Phase 5: Alternative spellings and pronunciations (e.g., ai/ay/a‑e; ee/ea/e‑e; ow/oe/o‑e; i/y; soft g), polysyllabic words, and increasing orthographic complexity.

• Common Exception Words (CEWs):

Recognition and accurate spelling of age‑appropriate CEWs, with attention to patterns, morphology, and etymology where helpful.

• Decodable Texts:

Carefully sequenced books that match taught GPCs; repeated reading to build fluency, move towards mixed‑code texts as automaticity grows, and ensure successful home reading.

• Encoding in Writing:

Applying phonics to spell words accurately, build sentences, and check plausibility; transferring taught patterns to independent writing across the curriculum.

• Prosody and Vocabulary in Context:

Using punctuation and phrasing to support expression; connecting decoded words to meaning and expanding vocabulary within authentic texts.

4. Substantive Concepts

Substantive concepts are recurring ideas that appear throughout the phonics curriculum and underpin children’s understanding of how the alphabetic code works. These include:

• Grapheme-Phoneme correspondences – recognising that one sound can be represented by different spellings and one spelling can represent different sounds.
• Blending and Segmenting – applying phonics knowledge to combine sounds for reading and break words into sounds for spelling.
• Fluency and Automaticity – developing speed and accuracy in decoding to free cognitive load for comprehension.
• Prosody and Expression – reading with phrasing and intonation to convey meaning.
• Application Across Contexts – transferring phonics knowledge to independent writing and unfamiliar words.
• Vocabulary and Meaning – linking decoded words to their meaning and using phonics as a foundation for language development.

These concepts are introduced early and revisited regularly, enabling children to deepen their understanding and apply phonics confidently in reading and writing.

Repetition and Retrieval

Our Phonics progression is built on high levels of repetition to ensure that children remember more and can do more as they progress through school.

• Daily lessons and weekly reviews consolidate new and prior learning.
• Keep-up sessions provide targeted repetition for children needing extra support.
• Reading practice sessions focus on decoding, prosody, and comprehension using decodable books matched to assessed phonic knowledge.
• Home reading (decodable texts and reading for pleasure books) strengthens retrieval and motivation.
• Ongoing revisit of phases and cumulative practice secure long-term memory.

Assessment

Assessment in phonics focuses on how well children apply decoding and spelling knowledge with fluency and accuracy:

• Formative assessment daily and in weekly review lessons to identify and address gaps swiftly.
• Summative assessments (every six weeks) to track progress, plan keep-up, and narrow attainment gaps.
• Statutory Year 1 Phonics Screening Check (with re-check in Year 2 for those who need it). Children are assessed for the PSC throughout the year.
• Fluency and placement assessments (via Little Wandle) measure accuracy/speed and pinpoint starting points for new pupils.
• Fluency assessments for children who are ready to progress from Phase 5 Set 2 books (fluency assessments for P5 S3, 4 and 5 books).
• Running records for children ready to progress on from Phase 5 Set 5 to turquoise.