Reading

St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School believes reading is a vital life skill and without a firm foundation, children’s academic and emotional well-being are limited and will prevent children from reaching their full potential in their education and future life successes. Our intent at St Stephen’s is to equip all of our children, regardless of background, with a solid foundation to help them towards their journey of becoming independent, fluent and passionate readers. We believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers.

In Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, children are heard read three times per week in group reading sessions. Each lesson has a different focus and by the end of the final session, children take their taught reading book home to read to their adult. Identified children will be heard read more frequently. In addition to their taught reading book, children are provided each week with banded books appropriate to their stage of reading to enjoy at home.

In Key Stage 2, pupils progress to shared reading sessions four times per week which include comprehension activities. Opportunities for additional reading are delivered to those children who require extra reading support.

School has a small library area which is well stocked and covers a range of topics. Each class has their own class library. The school library is open at lunchtime with school librarians managing the provision. ​

In addition to the direct teaching of reading, the whole curriculum is based on high quality, engaging texts which are matched to the age and ability of the pupils to broaden their minds and horizons in readiness for the next stages of their education and to prepare them for life beyond school.