Curriculum Intent

At St Joseph’s, reading is the cornerstone of our curriculum and a vital part of our mission to ensure every child is known, loved, and enabled to flourish. We believe that reading unlocks the curriculum and empowers children to thrive academically, spiritually, and socially.   

Our reading curriculum is designed to:   

• Ensure every child becomes a fluent, confident reader through a structured, systematic approach to phonics using Read Write Inc. (RWI).   

• Build comprehension, vocabulary, and a love of literature through the Master Readers Scheme from Year 2 onwards.   

• Provide all pupils with access to high-quality texts that reflect diversity, promote empathy, and build cultural capital.   

• Embed reading across the curriculum to support knowledge acquisition and subject-specific literacy.   

• Uphold our commitment to Welcoming All, ensuring that every child, regardless of background or need, can succeed in reading.   

  

Curriculum Implementation

Reading is taught through a carefully sequenced, inclusive approach that combines the rigour of RWI Phonics with the depth and breadth of the Master Readers Scheme:  

Early Reading and Phonics (EYFS & KS1)  

• We follow the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme with fidelity, delivering daily sessions that systematically teach grapheme-phoneme correspondences, blending, and segmenting.  

• Children are grouped by stage, not age, to ensure targeted teaching and rapid progress.  

• Regular assessments ensure children move through the programme at an appropriate pace, with timely interventions for those who need additional support.  

• RWI decodable books are matched to each child’s phonics level, ensuring success and confidence in early reading.  

Developing Comprehension and Fluency (KS1 & KS2)  

• Once children complete the RWI programme, they transition to the Master Readers Scheme, which provides a consistent, whole-class reading approach.  

• Master Readers lessons develop key reading skills through rich, challenging texts that promote discussion, inference, and critical thinking.  

• Reading fluency is explicitly taught and practised, with regular opportunities for performance reading and echo reading.  

Reading Culture and Enrichment  

• Daily story time, themed reading weeks, and a vibrant school library foster a love of reading.  

• Reading is embedded across the curriculum, with non-fiction texts used to support learning in subjects such as science, history, and RE.  

• Targeted interventions, including 1:1 tutoring, ensure no child is left behind.  

  

Curriculum Impact

The impact of our reading curriculum is evident in the confidence, fluency, and enthusiasm with which children engage with texts. We measure success through:  

• Phonics Outcomes: High attainment in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, with rapid catch-up for those who need it in Year 2.  

• Reading Attainment and Progress: Strong outcomes in KS1 and KS2 reading assessments, supported by internal tracking and pupil progress meetings.  

• Pupil Voice: Children speak positively about reading, can discuss texts with insight, and demonstrate a love of books.  

• Fluency and Comprehension: Pupils read with accuracy, expression, and understanding, applying strategies taught through RWI and Master Readers.  

• Equity and Inclusion: All pupils, including those with SEND, EAL, and disadvantaged backgrounds, make sustained progress and develop a positive reading identity.  

• Preparation for Life: Pupils leave St Joseph’s as literate, articulate individuals, ready to access the secondary curriculum and engage with the wider world.  

The Reading Curriculum 

Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6
Phonics	Iron Man	Kensuke’s Kingdom	The Street Child	Holes
	Hansel and Gretel	Beowulf	The Dancing Bear	Wonder
	The owl who was afraid of the dark	Pig Heart Boy	Zlata’s Diary	The Titanic Detective
The Tear Thief	The Boy who Grew Dragons	The Ice Palace	The Secrets of the Sun King	SATs Practice
The Magic Finger	Thief!	The last bear	Boy at the Back of the Class	The London Eye Mystery

 

In addition to these books that we study, we also have dedicated weeks to focus on non-fiction texts and poetry as well as celebrating Book Week by studying the same book across the school which changes each year.  

Phonics

At St Joseph’s we use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI) to give your child the best possible start with their reading and writing.  We have put together a guide to how the RWI programme works together with some useful links. Please take the time to read the information as it will provide invaluable information as to how you can help and support your child in reading.

Useful Links:

Please look at the list of links we have provided that highlight Ashley Booth's recommended 100 books that children should read before they leave primary school. It has been broken down into KS1, KS2 - Years 3/4 and Years 5/6