Reading is an integral part of the curriculum at Leigh Church of England Academy. 

Our reading approach begins with the teaching of phonics in Early Years and Key Stage One, but then in KS2 we follow a whole class reading approach.

Across KS2, children have four 30 minute sessions each week dedicated to whole class reading.  During these sessions children see reading strategies and answer techniques modelled and are given opportunities to practise these skills independently.  To build confidence, a variety of different question types are used to ensure that the children can deal with questions asked in a multitude of ways.  The children have the chance to observe and develop their own fluency, intonation and expression within lessons, as well as applying strategies to tackle unfamiliar or tricky words.  Key vocabulary is shared and discussed throughout sessions as well as grammatical aspects that aid understanding. 

Take a look at the overview below of the texts that our whole class reading sessions are based on: 

What Else?

Click on the categories below to find out what else is happening in and around school linked to reading ... 

Home Reading Expectations

Children are expected to read at home four times a week to an adult (or independently in UKS2).  When your child has read, please ensure it is recorded in their reading diary by an adult (or themselves in UKS2).  Children’s reading records are checked, against this expectation weekly.

Please encourage your children to read a range of different genres and for a range of different purposes (as this forms part of their assessment): even if it is reading a bus timetable, reading something online as research or reading an information leaflet– it all counts as ‘reading’.

As well as being able to support children in understanding a wider range of vocabulary, adults can extend and deepen children's understanding of a text through questioning.  To help them strengthen their understanding, use the question stems below, adapting them to the text they are reading.  

Question stems ...

Recommended Reading

Looking for inspiration about what book to read next?  Every child can enjoy reading – they just need to find the right book!  Have a look in your child’s year group below to find ’50 recommended Reads’ for that age group.  Where will your adventure take you?