Ethos

At Ainslie Wood, we believe that reading is at the heart of all learning. We strive for every child to experience the joy and power of becoming a lifelong reader, developing the language, vocabulary and oracy skills they need to understand the world and express themselves with confidence.

We are committed to providing outstanding, inspiring and exciting reading opportunities and experiences at every stage. Through high-quality texts, rich vocabulary and purposeful opportunities to talk, listen and share ideas, we bring reading to life and give it a true purpose.

Our mission is to nurture a love of literature, open doors to new experiences and ideas, and equip every child with the words they need to communicate, think and participate in the world around them. We believe that words have the power to transform lives, broaden horizons and change outcomes for children and communities.

Phonics

At Ainslie Wood Primary School, we follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to provide a consistent, systematic and carefully sequenced approach to phonics from the earliest stages of learning to read.

Our phonics journey begins in Nursery through Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics, where children develop the essential skills needed to become successful readers. Through listening, oral blending, sound discrimination and playful exploration of sounds, children begin to develop an awareness of the sounds within spoken language and build the foundations for formal phonics teaching.

In Reception, children make a strong start with Little Wandle phonics, beginning with Phase 2 and progressing through Phase 3. They learn the relationships between sounds and letters (GPCs), practise blending to read and segmenting to spell, and apply their growing knowledge through carefully matched books and purposeful reading practice. This systematic progression continues through Year 1, where children develop increasing confidence and fluency as they secure Phase 4 and Phase 5 knowledge.

In Year 2, children build on this secure phonics foundation through a review of Phase 5 before progressing into Little Wandle Spelling. Children continue to draw on their phonics knowledge as they develop their spelling, vocabulary and understanding of how words work.

Throughout the programme, teaching is carefully sequenced, regularly assessed and responsive to individual need, ensuring that every child is supported to develop the knowledge, confidence and fluency they need to become a successful, independent reader and writer.

Parents can access support and ideas from the Little Wandle website - https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

Teaching of Reading

At Ainslie Wood Primary School, we believe that children become confident, fluent and lifelong readers through a combination of high-quality teaching in school and regular opportunities to read at home. Reading is not confined to the classroom; we encourage children to develop a rich and meaningful reading life beyond school, with parents and families playing an important role in supporting this journey.

In EYFS and KS1, children develop their early reading skills through the Little Wandle programme and carefully matched books that enable them to practise and apply their phonics knowledge. In KS2, children engage in whole-class reading, developing their fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and ability to discuss and respond to a wide range of texts. Children’s progress is monitored closely, with additional support and opportunities for challenge provided where appropriate.

Reading together at home is a valuable part of this journey. Sharing books with your child, listening to them read and talking about what you have read together strengthens their understanding, develops their confidence as communicators and nurtures curiosity and a genuine love of reading. Discussing characters, events, ideas and new words helps children to develop their understanding of the world and gives them the confidence to express their own thoughts and opinions.

We encourage families to make reading a regular and enjoyable part of everyday life. Whether sharing a bedtime story, visiting the library, reading a comic, following a recipe or simply talking about a book, every opportunity to read and talk about words helps children become stronger, more confident readers and communicators.