Reading at Millfields
At Millfields Church of England Primary School, we believe that reading is one of the most powerful gifts we can give to our children. It is at the heart of our curriculum and plays a vital role in helping every child flourish—academically, personally, and spiritually.
Why Reading Matters
Reading opens the door to learning across every subject. It builds vocabulary, deepens understanding, and nurtures imagination. But more than that, reading helps children grow in confidence, develop empathy, and explore the wider world—all while developing a lifelong love of books.
At Millfields, we believe that reading is a key way to live out our school values of Faith, Respect, Courtesy, and Endeavour:
Faith – Through Bible stories and meaningful texts, children explore big questions about life, purpose, and belief.
Respect – By reading stories from different cultures and perspectives, children learn to value others and celebrate diversity.
Courtesy – Reading together encourages listening, sharing, and thoughtful discussion.
Endeavour – Becoming a fluent reader takes effort and determination. We support children to persevere and take pride in their progress.
Learning to Read
We teach reading from the very start of reception using a systematic phonics programme that builds decoding skills, confidence, and fluency. Our staff are well trained and committed to ensuring that every child keeps up and no child is left behind.
As children grow, we place equal importance on comprehension, vocabulary, and a love of stories, so that reading is not only a skill—but a joy.
Our Library
We are proud of our school library which was opened in July 2023 with support from the Foyle Foundation. It is a welcoming space filled with a rich variety of books. Every class has a weekly library session, where children explore new authors, choose books to borrow, and develop confidence in finding books they enjoy.
Families are warmly invited to use the library with their children outside of class time, helping to build positive reading habits at home.
Daily Reading for Pleasure
Every class takes part in a daily reading-for-pleasure session, where a skilled adult reads aloud a carefully chosen book. These sessions create shared moments of wonder, laughter, reflection, and connection. We use our curated list, The 100 Books of Millfields, along with other engaging texts chosen by teachers who know what will inspire their class.
Reading aloud is one of the most important parts of the day—promoting not just literacy, but also well-being and imagination.
✝️ Bible Stories and Spiritual Growth
Each week, children hear a Bible story read aloud in class during their reading for pleasure session. These stories are chosen to support children’s spiritual development and understanding of our Christian foundation. They help children reflect on themes such as forgiveness, hope, justice, and love—building their faith and guiding them in how they live and treat others.
🏡 Reading at Home
Children make the best progress when families and school work together. Reading at home—just 10 minutes a day—makes a huge difference. We encourage parents and carers to:
Read with your child regularly
Talk about stories, characters, and ideas
Visit the school library or local library
·Share your own love of reading
We also offer reading and phonics workshops during the school year, helping families support their child’s learning with confidence.
How we teach reading: EYFS and KS1
🔤 Phonics and Early Reading at Millfields
At Millfields CE Primary School, we follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised to teach phonics and early reading in a consistent and effective way. We want every child to become a confident and fluent reader—and we work closely with families to make sure that success is shared and celebrated at home too.
📚 Reading Practice Sessions
In addition to the daily phonics lesson, children who are at the early stages of learning to read take part in small group reading practice sessions with a member of staff trained in Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.
These sessions are about 15 minutes long and take place three times a week.
Groups are small—usually around six children—to ensure each child gets high-quality support.
Children read a fully decodable book that is carefully matched to their current phonics knowledge.
These books are not just for reading practice—they help build fluency, confidence, and understanding.
This approach follows the Little Wandle model exactly, ensuring consistency and the best outcomes for our children.
🏠 Reading Phonics Books at Home
At the end of the week, children take home the same book they have read in school. This means they can re-read it with confidence and share their success with family members.
📘 Bedtime Story Books
We also believe that reading should be joyful, meaningful, and part of family life. Every child in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 will bring home a reading for pleasure book, often called a bedtime story that they will choose each week from our library.
These books are not matched to your child’s reading level—they are meant to be read to your child.
They are designed to promote a love of stories, rich language, and quality time with family.
Sharing these books supports children’s vocabulary, comprehension, and imagination.
📅 When Does It Start?
In Foundation 2, reading practice sessions begin in Week 4 of the Autumn term. For children who are not yet blending sounds to read words, we provide blending lessons, also following the Little Wandle approach, to build the early foundations they need.
💬 How You Can Help With Early Reading
We encourage all parents and carers to:
Listen to your child read their decodable book at least three times a week
Celebrate their effort and progress, even if it’s just a few pages
Read the bedtime story book together—with no pressure, just enjoyment
Talk about books, pictures, new words, and favourite parts of the story
Reading at home makes a huge difference—and together, we can give your child the very best start on their reading journey.
How we teach reading: KS2
At Millfields Church of England Primary School, we continue to put reading at the heart of learning as your child moves into Key Stage 2. We want every child to grow as a confident, fluent reader—and to discover the enjoyment, knowledge, and imagination that books can offer.
To support this, we use Ready Steady Read Together—a whole-class reading programme designed to help children build strong comprehension skills, develop rich vocabulary, and deepen their love of reading.
📖 Whole-Class Reading
Children in Years 3–6 take part in four reading sessions a week. In these lessons, the whole class reads and explores a carefully chosen book together. These might be novels, non-fiction, poetry, or stories from different cultures and time periods.
The Ready Steady Read Together approach helps all children engage with high-quality texts. Teachers guide them through new vocabulary, reading strategies and discussion questions that help them think deeply, explain their ideas, and understand what they read.
Book Bands and Reading at Home
Once children finish our phonics programme, they begin reading from our colour-banded book collection. These books are carefully matched to each child’s reading level to help them build fluency and confidence.
We check in regularly to make sure your child is reading the right level and making good progress. The aim is for children to become free readers—choosing their own books independently—when they are ready.
🏠 Reading at Home
As your child gets older, they may want to read more independently—but home reading is still really important.
We ask families to:
Encourage daily reading at home
Listen when your child wants to talk about their book
Ask simple questions like “What do you think of this character?” or “Why did that happen?”
These conversations help your child develop their understanding—and show them that reading is valued and enjoyed at home too.
📎 Supporting Every Child
Our approach to reading is inclusive and ambitious for all. Whether your child has special educational needs, speaks English as an additional language, or needs extra support, we are here to help them succeed and feel confident as readers.
Reading is part of how we help every child show endeavour—to work hard, grow in confidence, and achieve their personal best.
💬 How We Support You
If you're ever unsure about how best to support your child’s reading, or what types of questions to ask at home, just speak to your child’s class teacher. We’re always happy to help.
Together, we can help your child grow into a thoughtful, confident reader—ready for the next stage of their learning journey.
📑 Linked to National Expectations
Our reading curriculum is fully in line with:
The National Curriculum for English
The Early Reading Framework
The Ofsted Education Inspection Framework
The SIAMS Evaluation Schedule
Safeguarding and online safety guidance (including Keeping Children Safe in Education)
Reading is regularly monitored and reviewed as part of our commitment to excellence across the curriculum.