At St Godric’s school we are committed to giving each child every opportunity we can to develop their English skills. We firmly believe that reading is the key to learning and that all children should be able to enter the magical worlds that books open up to us.
Throughout the school we use a range of exciting lessons to teach and nurture a love of reading and books.
Throughout the school we follow the Letters and Sounds programme for the teaching phonics. The Letters and Sounds programme is a phonics resource published by the Department for Education and Skills in 2007. It aims to build children’s speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills. It sets out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills for children starting by the age of five, with the aim of them becoming fluent readers by age seven.
In Reception class children are taught phonics and reading on a daily basis. We use a range of exciting rhymes, songs, practical activities and outdoor learning to embed reading in a range of contexts, demonstrating to children the impact of reading in every aspect of life. 
In Key Stage 1 children are taught phonics and reading on a daily basis. Children are given a wide range of opportunities to practise their phonics and reading through whole class shared reading, paired reading and guided reading with an adult. There are also regular opportunities for children to read on an individual basis.
In Key Stage 2 children are also taught English through a novel based curriculum. This enhances a deep love of literature across a range of genres, cultures and styles. Children are encouraged to develop their own love of genres and authors and to review their books objectively.
