Reading at Pallister Park
Reading is at the heart of everything. We believe every child is a reader. Not every child arrives believing that about themselves and that is exactly why we work so hard to make it true.
A broad and balanced reading diet gives every child the opportunity to develop across the curriculum, gain knowledge of the wider world, and challenge their perspective on the people and places around them.
Our commitment
What reading looks like at Pallister Park
Daily story time
Every child hears a story every day. Our staff read aloud to children across the school modelling fluency, expression, and the joy of getting lost in a book.
Expert phonics teaching
We use the Read Write Inc programme to build genuine confidence one sound at a time. Our daily sessions are carefully tracked and adapted to exactly where each child is.
Books matched to every child
Reading should always feel achievable. Every child has books carefully matched to their ability so they build confidence, fluency, and a genuine love of reading at the right pace.
A book for every occasion
Every child receives a book on their birthday, at Christmas, and on World Book Day, as a minimum. Because owning books matters, and every child deserves a shelf of their own.
“The school prioritises a love of reading. All pupils receive a book for their birthday and at Christmas.”
Ofsted 2024
Early reading
Phonics, Read Write Inc
We use the systematic Read Write Inc programme for all early reading teaching. Daily sessions in small groups teach children to recognise sounds, read decodable words, and build the confidence to tackle any text.
All staff receive regular training and development through Ruth Miskin Training ensuring every phonics session is delivered with precision and confidence. Children’s progress is closely tracked, with one-to-one intervention available for anyone who needs to catch up.
Home reading books are exactly matched to the sounds your child has learned so reading at home always reinforces what they are doing in school.
How we teach reading
Three threads running through every year
The Mechanics of Reading
Once children can decode, our fully-resourced Oxford Reading Scheme gives them a wide range of genres and interests. In upper KS2, the Reading Plus platform matches text precisely to each child’s fluency and comprehension level.
Reading for Understanding
From Year 2 onwards, we use the John Murray approach with our Reading Explorers model, at least four sessions a week. Children spend a week with a single text, building a deep mental model of what they have read across fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
Reading for Pleasure
Staff read to children every single day. In KS1 our ‘Favourite Five’ books build familiar story patterns and a love of language. In KS2 a carefully chosen reading spine, using Ruth Miskin’s window and mirror approach, broadens every child’s view of the world.
EYFS & KS1
Favourite Five, books to come back to again and again
Every year group across EYFS and KS1 has its own set of five carefully chosen books; read, revisited, and loved throughout the year. Returning to the same books isn’t repetition. It’s how children build the deep familiarity that opens up language and story.
Pattern & Rhythm
Children internalise the rhythms of language, how words connect and flow together, through hearing stories they love read aloud.
Vocabulary
Repeated reading of the same books builds a rich, growing vocabulary children can use and rely on.
Fluency
Familiarity removes stumbling blocks. Once a child can read a book with ease, moving on to something new feels exciting rather than daunting.
Comprehension
Each revisit takes children deeper into a story, noticing more, understanding more, and preparing them for the complex texts ahead.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss