Reading at Orchard Park – Growing a Love of Books
Our Intent – What We Aim to Achieve
At Orchard Park, we want every child to fall in love with reading and become confident, curious readers for life. Our school is a reading community — books are at the heart of everything we do, just like our library is at the centre of our school.
From their very first days with us, children are surrounded by a language-rich environment. We support them in developing their reading skills step by step, helping them grow into fluent readers who enjoy exploring stories, information, and new ideas through books.
Because our school is full of children from many different backgrounds and experiences, we make sure everyone feels represented in the books they read and that there's something exciting and relevant for everyone.
We also understand how important reading is for every part of learning, so we make sure all pupils have regular access to quality books — including new and popular titles — to take home, borrow from our library, and even choose for themselves to keep and enjoy.
By the time children leave Orchard Park, they are not only skilled readers — they are also confident thinkers, able to share their opinions about what they read, understand different perspectives, and make connections across subjects and with the world around them.
How We Teach Reading – Our Implementation
Reading is a big part of daily life at Orchard Park, and it’s taught in a fun, structured and supportive way across all year groups.
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In the Early Years (Nursery & Reception):
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Children enjoy listening to stories, nursery rhymes and traditional tales.
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Nursery children take home wordless books to encourage sharing stories with family.
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From Reception, children begin phonics using the Letters and Sounds programme, learning how to read and decode words step by step.
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There are also regular “Stay and Read” sessions for families and reading workshops for parents so you can support your child’s learning at home.
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As children move into Key Stage 1 and 2:
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Reading is taught daily using high-quality books matched to their reading level.
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Children practise key skills such as understanding vocabulary, retrieving facts, making inferences, and applying their knowledge.
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They read as a class, in groups, and independently — with support from their teacher every step of the way.
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Children are regularly assessed to make sure they’re making good progress and getting the right level of challenge.
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Reading for enjoyment is a big part of our school life:
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Every class shares a class novel every day.
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Teachers recommend new books and encourage children to talk about what they’re reading.
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Children take part in our whole-school reading challenge, aiming to read at home at least four times a week. This is celebrated in class and in assemblies.
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Book corners and reading displays in each classroom help to build excitement and pride around reading.
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The Impact – What It Means for Your Child
By the time children leave Orchard Park, they are:
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Confident, fluent readers who can understand, enjoy and talk about a wide range of books
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Able to use reading skills across all subjects and in everyday life
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Curious and thoughtful, with their own opinions and preferences when it comes to books
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Ready for the next stage of education with strong reading foundations
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Proud to be part of a school that celebrates reading every day
Our children achieve well in reading assessments, but more importantly, they develop a real love for reading that we hope stays with them for life.
| Name | Format | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Files | |||
| Reading Curriculum Pack.pdf |
