As the vast majority of our pupils come from two feeder infant schools, we work closely throughout Year 2 to ensure a smooth transition to the support your child receieves.

Both infant feeders use Read, Write, Inc as their phonics programme and we continue this support as pupils join us. In Year 3, those pupils that accessed Read, Write, Inc groupings will continue immediately in the same grouping, until reassessed within the first week of return.

We also work with Campsmount Academy who use Read, Write, Inc Fresh Start to support struggling readers in Year 7.

This strong transition on-entry ensures our pupils continue to receive support from the very beginning of their time at Spa.

Year 3 pupils are assessed using Read, Write, Inc, triangulated with information from our infant feeders. Pupils accessing RWI Phonics are reassessed every six weeks (or more frequently) to ensure they are accessing phonics interventions supporting gaps in their knowledge. 

Pupils that have moved beyond phonics are assessed termly (or more, if required) using STAR Reading online assessments. This provides us with a reading age, Zone of Proximal Development (see reading books, for how this links to book levelling) and a range of diagnostic information. 

Where a pupil is identified as potentially struggling or falling behind, we further assess pupils for Read, Write, Inc Fresh Start. 

Where progress does not improve, teachers work with the SENDCo to assess and plan for individual needs.

For pupils in Years 3 & 4 requiring additional phonics intervention, we use Read, Write, Inc. Phonics. 

For those pupils identified as falling behind in Years 5 & 6, Read, Write, Inc Fresh Start is implemented, with progress monitored regularly. 

Where progress does not improve, teachers work with the SENDCo to assess and plan for individual needs.

Additional support and strategies are implemented according to individual nee.

We aim to ensure that all children learning to read are given decodable reading books ‑ that is, books that are ‘closely matched to pupils’ developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words’ ‑ to read in school and practise at home. Pupils access RWI Phonics read and take home a copy of their latest read, with sounds and words they are familiar with. Similarly, pupils accessing RWI Fresh Start read and take home the anthology that is aligned with their current module.

Where appropriate, pupils also use sound blending books, to support practise at home and school.