Reading

At Bassingbourn Primary School, our aim is to ensure that every child leaves our school able to read confidently and equipped with the skills needed to interpret and engage with a wide range of texts. We aim to foster a lifelong love of reading in all pupils, regardless of their background, needs, interests or abilities.

Reading is taught through a structured and progressive approach across the school, using age-appropriate texts and teaching methods. We follow the National Curriculum, ensuring that all statutory reading objectives are taught explicitly within English lessons.

From EYFS to Year 2, children receive daily phonics teaching through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. This systematic approach enables children to develop secure decoding skills and supports early reading fluency. In Year 3, children continue with daily phonics revision sessions during the first half-term of the autumn term before transitioning to whole-class guided reading.

Whole-class guided reading is taught throughout Key Stage 2 and provides structured opportunities for children to practise reading fluently, explore and clarify new vocabulary, and develop their understanding of an author’s use of language. Children are also supported in developing strong comprehension skills by responding to carefully selected questions linked to high-quality texts across a range of genres.

Children also have additional opportunities to have read for pleasure during independent reading time in class and to share books as a class during class novel time.

Accelerated Reader (AR) is an online program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice using books that have AR levels. Children take initial assessments to provide an indication of their reading ability, including their comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. This also provides a book level range to support appropriate reading choices. Children choose books within this range to read in school and at home. They are encouraged to complete an online quiz on the Accelerated Reader platformafter completing a book to show their understanding of the text.