At Francis Baily Primary School, phonics is the foundation for early reading and writing. We are committed to ensuring that every child learns to read confidently, fluently and with enjoyment. We follow Read Write Inc (RWI), a Department for Education-validated synthetic phonics programme, taught daily in Early Years and Key Stage 1, with targeted support for older pupils who need it.

Our Approach

Through RWI, children learn to:

• Recognise and say letter sounds (phonemes)
• Blend sounds to read words
• Segment words into sounds for spelling
• Develop automatic word recognition
• Build fluency and comprehension as they progress.

Lessons are fast-paced, engaging and tailored to each child’s level. All pupils, including those with SEND or speech and language needs, access phonics at the right level with keep-up, not catch-up support.

How We Organise Phonics

• Daily phonics sessions in EYFS, Year 1 and partway through Year 2 before transitioning to Master Readers
• Small-group teaching matched to each child’s stage
• Regular assessment to ensure pupils move on when ready
• Targeted intervention for children needing further consolidation
• Close tracking to identify children who may need extra support.

Our goal is for all children to become fluent, independent readers by the end of Key Stage 1.

Reading Books
Pupils bring home decodable reading books that match their phonics level. This ensures success, confidence and enjoyment. We also encourage pupils to choose ‘free choice’ books to share with adults at home, promoting a love of reading.

The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
All Year 1 pupils take the statutory Phonics Screening Check in June. This helps us understand how confidently children can decode words. Parents are informed of the results and any next steps.

Supporting Phonics at Home

Parents and carers can support phonics learning by:

• Practising sounds sent home
• Listening to your child read their decodable book
• Encouraging blending and segmenting
• Celebrating effort and progress.

Further guidance and videos are available on the Read Write Inc website.

Need More Information?

If you would like to know more about phonics at Francis Baily, please speak with your child’s class teacher or visit our English curriculum page.