Phonics
Education Endowment Fund research indicates that Phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger readers to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional four months’ progress.
Intent
The intention of the phonics curriculum at Hugh Gaitskell Primary School is to teach children the key skills they need to be confident, passionate and able readers. At Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, we value reading as a key life skill, and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers. We believe that phonics provides the foundations of learning to make the development into fluent reading and writing easier. Through daily, systematic and consistent high quality phonics teaching, children learn to segment words to support their spelling ability and blend sounds to read words. To allow our children to develop a strong phonic awareness and effective blending and decoding skills, we have chosen to use a synthetic phonics programme called Floppy’s Phonics. Through the consistent, systematic and daily teaching of the Floppy’s Phonics programme, our aim is for children to become fluent, confident readers by the end of Key Stage One. This means that children can focus on developing fluency and comprehension as they move through school.
The document below outlines how we teach phonics sounds and skills from Reception to Year 2. We follow timetabling and progression of skills guidance as outlined in the Floppy’s Phonics programme.
Implementation
Phonics in Nursery
In Nursery our children are taught early phonics skills by teaching the phase one aspects. Early phonics concentrates on developing children's speaking and listening skills, learning new vocabulary and reciting songs/nursery rhymes around the theme. It lays the foundations for the phonics work when the children start reception. The emphasis during phase one is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills.
Nursery children work on all seven aspects in Phase 1:
Aspect 1 - General sound discrimination - environmental
Aspect 2 - General sound discrimination - instrumental sounds
Aspect 3 - General sound discrimination - body percussion
Aspect 4 - Rhythm and rhyme
Aspect 5 - Alliteration
Aspect 6 - Voice sounds
Aspect 7 - Oral blending and segmenting
Phonics in Reception
Children make a strong start with phonics in Reception. Phonics is our top priority and our children have a 1 hour lesson every day!
Structure of the week
- Revisit and review,
- Learn a new piece of code over two days
- Use the reading routine to read the new sound.
- We also focus on vocabulary and talk time within these sessions using the scheme resources. Children are given opportunities to practice and apply reading in our Floppy’s phonics work books and through reading sentences that match the sound they are learning.
Reception children receive additional intervention sessions every afternoon offering targeted support where needed.
Phonics in KS1
In Year 1 and Year 2 we cover a new sound per day (over 4 days) by following the same systematic Floppy's Phonics teaching sequence as Reception.
In addition to the 1 hour phonics lesson, teachers provide targeted 1:1 support for children to allow them to ‘keep up not catch up’.
What arrangements are in place for children who do not pass the phonics screening check in year 2?
- As part of the transition process, Y2 teachers pass on key information about children including whether children passed their phonics re-test
- In September, teachers in every class carry out a phonics and spelling test to identify gaps and set next steps for each child according to their phonics ability
- Teachers have been supported by the English Leader to ensure that children have reading books matched to their phonics ability
- New scheme books have been bought to engage children and support with book matching
- In KS2, those who did not pass the test, will have daily catch-up sessions to make sure they make rapid progress and build their confidence
Phonics Development
In January 2021 we began a partnership with Jerry Clay English Hub. All staff have received initial training sessions to ensure that phonics lessons are delivered accurately and resources are consistent in every classroom across the school. Ongoing CPD and coaching sessions for all staff will take place to monitor the implementation of the phonics scheme so that all pupils make accelerated progress in the reading of sounds and words.
How to say the sounds
Below is a video explaining how to pronounce the sounds that your child will learn at school. If you are not sure how to say a sound, this is a handy guide to refer to.
Impact
At our school, we place a strong emphasis on teaching phonics because it gives children the essential tools they need to become confident, independent readers. Phonics teaches children how sounds link to letters and letter patterns, enabling them to decode unfamiliar words. This approach is proven to support early reading success and helps children develop accuracy, fluency and confidence from the very start.
We use Floppy’s Phonics because it provides a clear, systematic and engaging approach to learning to read. The programme introduces sounds in a carefully planned sequence, allowing children to build knowledge step by step. Through daily, structured lessons, children learn to recognise sounds, blend them to read words, and apply these skills in both reading and writing. This consistency helps all children, including those who need extra support, to make steady progress.
A key strength of Floppy’s Phonics is the use of closely matched reading books. These books are aligned to the sounds children have already learned, so they can read with success and confidence. When children experience success early on, they develop positive attitudes towards reading and are more motivated to practise. Reading becomes enjoyable rather than frustrating, helping to foster a genuine love of books and stories.
Floppy’s Phonics also encourages children to talk about what they read, supporting the development of vocabulary, comprehension and speaking skills. Sharing stories helps children build confidence in expressing ideas and understanding language, which are vital skills both in and beyond the classroom.
By securing strong phonics foundations, children are well prepared for the next stages of learning. Confident reading supports success in writing, spelling and understanding texts across the curriculum. Ultimately, Floppy’s Phonics helps children become fluent readers who enjoy reading, feel confident in their abilities, and are equipped with skills that will support lifelong learning.