Our Intent
At Monteagle, we believe that reading is not just a subject but a fundamental life skill that underpins all areas of the curriculum and embodies our core values of trust, respect, and working hard. We are committed to nurturing confident, fluent readers who think critically about texts and develop a lifelong love of reading and literature.
From the Early Years through to Key Stage 2, reading remains a key priority, grounded in a culture of respect for each pupil’s unique learning journey. In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, pupils build a strong foundation through systematic phonics teaching, supported by dedicated staff who work hard to inspire every child. As pupils progress into Key Stage 2, whole-class reading sessions provide exposure to a wide range of high-quality, age-appropriate texts that encourage thoughtful discussion and mutual respect for diverse perspectives.
Reading is celebrated and promoted across the curriculum, supported by a rich variety of texts that reflect and respect our diverse community. Our dedicated ‘Reading for Pleasure’ library exemplifies our commitment to creating an engaging and imaginative environment where pupils can trust in their ability to explore books that cater to their interests, reading levels, and cultural backgrounds.
We actively encourage pupils to read at home, both in English and their home languages, fostering respect for cultural identity and family heritage. Families are regularly invited to participate in reading workshops and events, strengthening the partnership between school and home and inspiring a shared commitment to working hard and enjoying reading together.
Our Implementation
At Monteagle, the teaching of reading begins in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 with a strong emphasis on systematic phonics through the Little Wandle synthetic phonics programme. Pupils are regularly assessed every half term to monitor progress, and where necessary, targeted support is provided through daily phonics catch-up sessions to ensure no child falls behind.
To support early reading development, decodable books are carefully matched to each pupil’s current phonics phase, allowing them to apply their phonics knowledge in meaningful contexts. This early reading progress is further reinforced through small group sessions and continuous provision opportunities both indoors and outdoors. Additionally, dual-coded vocabulary resources are employed to build and consolidate key vocabulary aligned with the Keystage One and Early Years curriculum, supporting language development alongside phonics.
As pupils become more fluent readers, they transition into whole-class reading sessions using texts from the Bug Club scheme. Vocabulary is taught explicitly and reinforced through dual coding strategies before pupils encounter these words in context, ensuring a deeper understanding. Reading lessons are thoughtfully structured to include oracy opportunities, enabling pupils to engage in structured discussions that deepen their comprehension and critical thinking about texts. Immersion tasks and comprehension activities are integrated to assess pupils’ understanding and engagement with the material.
To ensure all pupils receive the support they need, a range of targeted reading interventions are in place. These include daily phonics catch-up sessions for those requiring additional help, small supported reading groups focused on developing fluency and comprehension, and explicit teaching of curriculum vocabulary using dual coding methods. Precision teaching is used for high-frequency and common exception words, while Colourful Semantics interventions provide additional support for comprehension, particularly benefiting pupils with special educational needs.
Our Impact
At Monteagle, our reading programme is designed to ensure every pupil becomes a confident, fluent reader who embraces critical thinking and develops a lifelong passion for reading. This reflects our core values of trust, respect, and working hard, which underpin all aspects of our teaching and learning.
Through consistent and rigorous implementation of systematic phonics teaching, alongside carefully matched decodable texts and rich vocabulary development, pupils build a solid foundation in Early Years and Key Stage 1. This foundation enables them to approach reading with trust in their own abilities and the confidence to tackle increasingly complex texts.
As pupils advance through the school, whole-class reading sessions and rich vocabulary teaching foster a respectful and collaborative learning environment where pupils are encouraged to listen, discuss, and appreciate diverse perspectives. This approach not only enhances comprehension but also nurtures pupils’ oracy skills and their respect for language and literature.
Our commitment to working hard is evident in the targeted interventions and tailored support we provide, ensuring that pupils who need extra help receive it promptly and effectively. These interventions, combined with our inclusive ‘Reading for Pleasure’ library and home-school partnerships, create a vibrant reading culture that motivates pupils to engage deeply with texts both in school and at home.
The impact of this comprehensive reading provision is clear: pupils leave Monteagle equipped with the skills, confidence, and enthusiasm to meet the demands of the wider curriculum and to continue their reading journey with curiosity and resilience. Through reading, they embody our values, ready to contribute thoughtfully and respectfully to their communities and future learning.
