Phonics

At Jessie Younghusband Primary School, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will develop. Phonics provides the foundations for reading and writing, enabling children to become confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers.

Phonics is taught as part of our wider approach to reading, which also includes reading for pleasure, shared reading, whole-class reading and opportunities to develop comprehension, vocabulary and a lifelong love of books. We want every child to leave JYS as a confident reader who can access the full curriculum and enjoy reading independently.

What is Phonics?

Phonics teaches children the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and the letters or groups of letters (graphemes) that represent them. Children learn to:

• Recognise and identify sounds in words.
• Link sounds to the letters that represent them.
• Blend sounds together to read words.
• Segment words into sounds to support spelling.
• Read and spell common exception and tricky words.

As children progress through the phonics programme, they build upon previous learning and develop increasingly sophisticated decoding and spelling skills.

How We Teach Phonics

At JYS, phonics is taught using the Twinkl Phonics programme. Phonics is taught daily throughout Reception and Key Stage One and continues into Key Stage Two for any pupils who require additional support. Our approach is systematic, structured and progressive, ensuring that children build knowledge and confidence step by step. 

Each phonics lesson follows a clear sequence:

• Revise previously taught sounds and words.
• Teach new phonemes, graphemes or tricky words.
• Practise the new learning through reading and spelling activities.
• Apply learning through reading and writing words, phrases and sentences.

This consistent approach helps children develop secure phonics knowledge and the confidence to apply their learning independently.

Reading Practice

Alongside phonics lessons, children read books that are carefully matched to their current level of phonics knowledge. We use Rhino Readers, which are closely aligned to the Twinkl Phonics programme and provide a rich range of engaging fiction and non-fiction texts.

This allows children to practise and consolidate the sounds they have been taught, helping them develop decoding skills, reading fluency and comprehension.

Learning Through Engagement

We believe children learn best when they are actively involved in their learning. Phonics lessons include a variety of engaging and practical activities such as:

• Oral blending and sound games.
• Rhyming activities.
• Interactive whiteboard games.
• Phoneme frames and spelling activities.
• Word-building challenges.
• Reading and writing sentences.
• Speaking and listening activities.
• Collaborative learning and partner work.

These activities help children develop confidence, enjoyment and success as they learn to read and write.

Supporting Every Child

At Jessie Younghusband Primary School, we have high expectations for all learners. Staff regularly assess children's progress and quickly identify any pupils who may require additional support.

Where needed, children receive targeted intervention and additional practice to help them secure the knowledge and skills required to become successful readers. We work closely with families to ensure children receive consistent support both at school and at home.

Our Success in Phonics

We are proud of the strong outcomes achieved by our pupils in phonics. Over the past three years, our Year 1 Phonics Screening Check results have consistently been 88% or higher, reflecting the effectiveness of our teaching, the hard work of our pupils and the strong partnership we have with parents and carers.

Whilst we are proud of these results, our ultimate goal is much broader than passing a screening check. We want every child to develop the confidence, fluency and love of reading that will support them throughout their education and beyond.

Aspire • Respect • Enjoy

At Jessie Younghusband Primary School, phonics is the first step in developing successful readers. Through high-quality teaching, engaging learning experiences and strong support for every child, we aim to give children the skills, confidence and enthusiasm they need to become lifelong readers.