Reading
At High View School, reading sits at the very heart of our curriculum. We believe that reading is the key that unlocks learning across all subjects and plays a vital role in children’s academic success, wellbeing and lifelong opportunities.
Our aim is for every child to leave our school as a fluent, confident and enthusiastic storyteller, with a genuine love of books and stories.
A Love of Reading
We are passionate about developing children into avid readers. Reading is promoted daily for pleasure, enjoyment and curiosity, not just as a skill to be mastered. We encourage children to explore a rich range of texts and to see reading as something to celebrate, share and enjoy.
Across the school, reading is:
- Modelled by enthusiastic adults
- Celebrated through reading time, recommendations and discussion
- Embedded across the wider curriculum
- Shared regularly with families
We want children to choose to read — at school and at home — because they love it.
Teaching Children to Read: Phonics
We teach early reading through Read Write Inc., a structured and systematic phonics programme. This approach:
- Develops strong phonics knowledge
- Builds fluency, accuracy and confidence
- Supports children to become independent readers quickly
Daily phonics sessions, right from the beginning of the Foundation Stage ensure that children learn to decode efficiently, laying firm foundations for comprehension and enjoyment.
Whole Class Reading
Once children have developed secure phonics knowledge, they move on to ‘Whole Class Reading’ sessions. These sessions are:
- Carefully planned and designed by our teachers
- Informed by the latest educational research into reading
- Focused on comprehension, vocabulary and language development
Children are exposed to high‑quality texts and supported to think deeply, ask questions and discuss meaning, enabling them to develop strong understanding and critical thinking skills.
High Quality Texts and Our School Library
We are proud of our extensive school library, which contains a wide and carefully chosen range of books. These include:
- Fiction and non‑fiction
- Classic and contemporary texts
- Poetry and picture books
- Diverse authors, cultures and viewpoints
Our library promotes inclusivity, curiosity and choice, ensuring that every child can find books which reflect their interests, experiences and imagination.
Reading Beyond the Classroom
Reading is not confined to English lessons. Children read across the curriculum to:
- Build background knowledge
- Develop subject‑specific vocabulary
- Deepen understanding in all areas of learning
We also work closely with families to support reading at home, recognising the powerful impact that shared reading has on confidence and progress.
Our Vision for Reading
At High View we want children to:
- Read fluently and with understanding
- Enjoy reading and talk about books confidently
- Develop a lifelong love of stories, ideas and learning
By putting reading at the heart of everything we do, we give our children the very best start for the future.