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At St. Andrew’s Primary Academy, we believe that a strong foundation in reading is key to a child’s educational journey, opening doors to imagination, understanding, and lifelong learning. Our reading curriculum is designed to nurture confident, fluent readers who are excited to explore the world of books.
English Lead - Hayley Hope
Hayley is the English Lead at St Andrew's, with responsibility for Phonics and Reading, Writing and Spelling across the school. She has proven herself to be a relentlessly ambitious, strategic and supportive leader, whose expertise and commitment have driven significant improvements in English provision.
Over the past two years, Hayley has successfully implemented the Little Wandle phonics programme, ensuring that resources, adults, lessons and keep-up sessions are organised to a consistently high standard across the entire school. Her meticulous approach and unwavering focus on quality have ensured that our youngest children receive the strongest possible foundations in reading and phonics, reflected in above national average outcomes for the past two years. Hayley has also ensured that the school's approach to Close Reading continues to translate into above national outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2, whilst developing a strong reading culture where pupils leave St Andrew's as confident readers who value and find genuine pleasure in reading. Her supportive leadership has been central to the success of these changes, inspiring colleagues and fostering a shared pride in the school's strong reading culture.
Hayley has also played an important role in developing the teaching of writing across the wider Trust, leading cross-Trust writing moderation and creating valuable opportunities for teachers to discuss and reflect upon their judgements. Her collaborative approach ensures that staff feel supported to develop their subject knowledge and confidence, whilst maintaining high and consistent expectations for pupils' written work.
Most recently, Hayley has been successfully appointed as an English Advisor for the local DfE English Hub, Myland. This is a true testament to her excellent leadership, knowledge and expertise in English. Hayley continues to review and evaluate English provision at St Andrew's with ambition and purpose, always seeking new ways to ensure that every child receives the very best education possible.
Early Reading and Phonics
In the early years, we place a strong emphasis on phonics through a well-structured program,ensuring that children learn to decode words and develop their reading skills systematically. The teaching program we use is Little Wandle. This is an accredited Systematic Synthetic Phonic teaching approach approved by the Department of Education. Using engaging, multi-sensory approaches, our phonics lessons help children master the building blocks of reading, while fostering a love for stories and language from the start.
Little Wandle
At St Andrew’s, we chose Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised as our DfE-validated early reading scheme to ensure every child builds the secure foundations needed to become a confident, fluent, and lifelong reader.
We specifically selected Little Wandle to target early communication and vocabulary barriers on entry, providing our pupils with a rigorous, systematic phonics sequence alongside a structured "three reads" weekly model that develops decoding, expression, and comprehension using books closely matched to their phonic knowledge. Underpinned by a proactive "keep up, not catch up" approach, Daily Keep-up and targeted Rapid Catch-up sessions ensure any learning gaps are identified and closed promptly.
This evidence-informed approach has delivered strong reading success across our school over the past two years. Our Year 1 Phonics Screening Check outcomes have consistently exceeded national averages, achieving 90% in 2025 and 86% in 2026.
Programme-Overview_Reception-and-Year-1_June-2025.pdfReading groups take place across Reception and Key Stage One three times a week, with all available adults being used to support this.
The school has also invested in Levels 1-10 of the Little Wandle Fluency Books which support readers in year 2 and 3 in becoming more independent and fluent readers - bridging the gap between phonics and fluency more effectively. Just like the usual Little Wandle Books, 3 weekly sessions take place in school to ensure pupils are given the best possible chance to bridge this gap and develop a life-long love of reading.
Rhyme of the Week and Key Stage One Reading Spine
To further enrich our pupils' early language acquisition and reading journey, as of September 2026 St Andrew’s has introduced the Pie Corbett 'Rhyme of the Week' initiative in Reception alongside a co-constructed Key Stage 1 Reading Spine.
'Rhyme of the Week' systematically builds children's phonological awareness, rhythm, and oral vocabulary from the very start of school, providing all pupils—particularly those entering with lower language baselines—with the speech foundations and confidence to thrive.
Complementing this, our progressive Reading Spine ensures children from Reception through Key Stage 1 are systematically exposed to high-quality, ambitious literature that expands their Tier 2 vocabulary, deepens comprehension, and nurtures a genuine, lifelong love of books
Rhyme of the Week - Reception Class.pdfKS1 Reading Spine 2026-2027.pdfKey Stage Two
Close Reading:
At St Andrew’s, Close Reading is our structured approach in Key Stage Two that transitions pupils from early phonic decoding and reading fluency into deep, analytical comprehension. During Close Reading sessions, children engage with rich, ambitious texts, reading them purposefully to unpick complex vocabulary, interrogate sentence structures, and develop higher-level inference skills. By moving beyond surface-level plot recall, Close Reading teaches pupils how to analyze authorial choices, evaluate evidence, and articulate thoughtful responses—equipping them with the critical thinking skills needed to access the full breadth of our curriculum
Developing Fluency:
As children progress through the school, we focus on developing their reading fluency, helping them to read accurately, quickly, and with expression. Regular practice, close reading sessions, and tailored support allow each child to grow at their own pace, building their confidence and enjoyment as they encounter increasingly complex texts.
Vocabulary Expansion:
We enrich children’s vocabulary by introducing them to a wide variety of texts across different genres and subjects. From fiction and poetry to non-fiction and informational books, we carefully select texts that introduce new words in context, helping our children not only to expand their language but also to understand how words work in different settings.
Key Stage Two Reading Spine
In Key Stage 2, reading at St Andrew’s moves beyond foundational decoding into rich, immersive literary exploration. Our co-constructed Key Stage 2 Reading Spine systematically exposes pupils across Hazel (Year 3), Juniper (Year 4/5), and Sycamore (Year 5/6) classes to an ambitious selection of award-winning, diverse, and classic modern literature. Carefully mapped across our mixed-age structure, these texts anchor whole-class reading, spark deep discussion around global themes—such as courage, environmental stewardship, empathy, and social justice—and provide rich Tier 2/3 vocabulary models that directly inspire pupils' independent writing. From Ted Hughes's The Iron Man and Onjali Q. Raúf's The Boy at the Back of the Class to Katherine Rundell's Impossible Creatures, our reading spine ensures every child experiences literature that broadens their horizons and deepens their understanding of the world
KS2 Reading Spine 2026-2027.pdfReading for Pleasure and Reading Champions
At St Andrew’s, reading for pleasure is at the heart of our school culture and daily life. We believe that developing a true love of reading opens doors to boundless imagination, empathy, and academic success. Every classroom features an inviting, rich book corner designed to inspire quiet enjoyment and book discovery, complemented by daily dedicated teacher-read sessions where staff share captivating stories with their classes. Our student leadership roles—including pupil Librarians who manage our school library and Reading Champions who share favourite stories with younger peers—empower children to take ownership of reading across our community. From whole-school World Book Day celebrations and author visits to cosy reading nooks and peer recommendations, we nurture a vibrant environment where every child feels inspired to pick up a book and read for joy.
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