Our Vision

At Ringway, we believe every child should have the opportunity to become a happy, confident and fluent reader. We ensure all children are taught the phonics code through daily structured phonics lessons.  We aim for children to apply their knowledge of sounds to become good, strong readers who can read with automaticity and make excellent progress in reading. Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another. At Ringway, we follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Programme, which is split into phases that systematically build on skills and knowledge of previous learning.

How we teach phonics

Nursery

Children begin their phonic journey at Ringway in Nursery where they learn Phase 1 phonics. Phase 1 concentrates on developing children’s speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Phase 2. The emphasis during Phase 1 is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin develop oral blending and segmenting skills.

Reception & KS1

In Reception and Y1, children follow the progression within Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised programme. Phonics is taught daily with a review session on a Friday. By the end of Reception, we aim for pupils to have completed Phase 4. By the end of Y1 we aim for pupils to have completed Phase 5 and the Little Wandle scheme. In Y2, pupils who have not yet completed the phonics code continue to have daily lessons. Pupils who have completed Little Wandle move onto Spelling Shed.

KS2

Phonics lessons are taught daily to pupils who did not pass the Phonics Screening Test in KS1 or who still need phonics to support their reading and writing skills.

How you can help at home:

• Reading every night at home with your child for 15 minutes.
• Practise reading and writing tricky words.
• Practise the sounds your child is learning.
• If children know their sounds and tricky words they are more likely to gain speed and fluency in their reading.

Handwriting

Practice letter formation at home and encourage your child to start in the correct place and position the letter correctly on the line.

Guidance for Parents

Please see the attached documentation for more information. In addition, you can access the website directly to find out more.