During their time at Golden Hill, pupils will be encouraged to read regularly and it is our aim to instil a love of reading in every pupil. Pupils will have the opportunity to listen to a teacher read daily for pleasure, helping to choose the texts they listen to. We aim to provide a book rich environment where all adults within school demonstrate a love of reading which will encourage every pupil to become a reader.

At Golden Hill, reading is taught through systematic synthetic phonics. We have fidelity to the Red Rose Letters and Sounds across both Key Stages, where the children are set accordingly to the phase they are working towards. In KS1, all pupils have access to a daily phonics lesson. To supplement the teaching of phonics, pupils will receive a book that will be phonically decodable from the our Reading  Scheme. Golden Hill does not follow 1 reading scheme but uses texts from a variety of schemes, such as Oxford Reading Tree, Dandelions, Big Cat phonics.  These reading schemes have been chosen as pupils attending Golden Hill access different reading schemes in their mainstream schools. These reading schemes meet individual pupil needs. In Key Stage 2, pupils who require the teaching of phonics will do so through Fast Track Phonics or Bounce Back Phonics.

In KS2, spellings are taught following No Nonsense Spelling. Our aim is to teach 5 spelling sessions over a 2 week period and spellings are sent home for your child to learn.

Staff will assess pupils’ reading regularly and pupils will be given specific reading targets during their time at Golden Hill. These targets will be used during every reading session between a pupil and adult. These smart targets will enable pupils to know how they can be better readers.

It is our aim that pupils will read every day while at Golden Hill Short Stay School. Pupils will have the opportunity to read to an adult or undertake an independent reading activity using online resources such as Epic or Oxford Owl Online.

Golden Hill also provide opportunities for the children to visit our School Library weekly and to loan a book which they can take home and share with their family, carers and passenger assistants during their journey to and from school.

Implementation of Red Rose Letters and Sounds

Skills Progression of Phonics