Curriculum Aims 

At St Nicholas Catholic Primary School, we strive to promote high standards of English which equip each child with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. We hold high expectations for all of our pupils and strive to inspire a love of reading and language which encourages our children to become life-long readers. We believe, reading feeds pupils’ imaginations and opens their minds to a land of wonder and curiosity. 

Our Aims

• To develop positive attitude to reading that ensure reading is an enjoyable and meaningful experience.
• To develop a habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
• Acquire a wide range of vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions through reading a wide range of texts and genres.
• To experience a wide range of rich and varied literature.
• To enable all children’s comprehension skills to develop through ensuring experiences with high-quality texts and discussions with teachers through a range of genres including: fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
• To be able to read widely to gain knowledge across the curriculum developing children’s knowledge about the world around them.
• To be able to read and critically appreciate a variety of texts, both orally and recorded.
• To develop reading strategies which allow children to search for meaning within a text.
• Read and respond to a variety of texts whilst developing an increased level of fluency and independence.
• To enable children to read silently and aloud for increasingly sustained periods.

Reading Opportunities

Reading Cafes

Every term, we are lent books from the Leeds Library Service. These books are linked to what each key stage is studying during the term. To immerse the children into the books, we set up a reading cafe where they children are given the opportunity to read a variety of books, discuss them with their peers, and explore the context surrounding these books. 

            

Author Visits

Recently, Lower Key Stage 2 had a fantastic visit from poet, Simone Yasmin. She talked through the 'ingredients' of a poem and how to come up with amazing ideas. The children then had the opportunity to become poets and create their very own poems!

Upper Key Stage 2 also had a very exciting visit from Martin Impey, who discussed his book 'Blitz: One Family's War'. The children were able to ask some fantastic questions about how he produced the book, from the first ideas to the final publications. They were also treated to a live demonstration on how Martin illustrates his books. The children thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon and left feeling very inspired!

Reading Spine 

Click the link below to see the Reading Spine for Year 1 to Year 6.

Fluency 

Reading fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, at a steady pace, and with expression. It is a key part of becoming a confident and successful reader. When children read fluently, they no longer have to focus on sounding out each word—instead, they can concentrate on understanding the meaning of what they are reading. Fluency acts as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. At St Nicholas we support fluency development through regular practice, re-reading familiar texts, echo reading, and reading aloud, helping children to build confidence, enjoyment, and understanding.

In EYFS and Year 1, fluency is taught through Talk Through Story. They focus on children practising echo reading and role-play to build confidence, comprehension, and fluency.

In Year 2- Year 6, fluency is taught through four explicit sessions a week, where teachers model read and children echo read, choral read, focus on expressive and smooth reading, as well as word recognition. 

Stage	Expected Progress in Fluency
EYFS (Nursery & Reception)	- Recognises letter sounds and blends simple words - Begins to track text left to right - Joins in with repeated phrases in familiar books
KS1 (Year 1-2)	- Reads simple texts with increasing accuracy - Develops automaticity in decoding words - Begins to use punctuation for expression (e.g., pausing at full stops)
Lower KS2 (Year 3-4)	- Reads aloud with appropriate speed and accuracy - Uses punctuation effectively (e.g., pausing at commas, changing tone for questions) - Begins to self-correct errors
Upper KS2 (Year 5-6)	- Reads with fluency, confidence, and expression - Adjusts pace and tone according to the text type - Uses reading fluency to support comprehension

Assessment

Teachers assess every six weeks. In doing so, they are able to implement any intervention swiftly so that pupils do not fall behind their peers.  Teachers track the progress of each child across the year to ensure they are securing the set they are being taught.  Daily AFL opportunities are used to support this judgement, together with the application of phonics through reading and writing and other areas of the curriculum.  For specific pupils needing additional support, the assessment is more thorough so that the progress and identification of specific need is clearly monitored and tracked.

Book Club 

Book Club takes place once a week and provides children with dedicated time to enjoy reading in a relaxed, social setting. Its aim is to empower pupils to make their own book choices, build confidence as readers, and engage in authentic conversations about what they’re reading. Each sessio could include quiet independent reading time, followed by small-group “Book Chat Circles” where children share their thoughts, favourite moments, and recommendations using fun discussion prompts. The session ends with a short whole-class reflection or “book shout-out.” Through Book Club, pupils develop their reading identity, motivation, and enjoyment, while exploring a diverse range of books and authors in an inclusive, choice-led environment.

Reading at home 

At St Nicholas Catholic Primary School, we believe that reading is at the heart of learning and that strong home–school partnerships help every child become a confident, enthusiastic reader.

In Key Stage 1, children bring home:

• The Read Write Inc. book they have been reading in school, to build fluency and expression.

• A book bag book matched to their phonics level, for independent practice.

• A familiar storybook to enjoy and share with family, encouraging a love of reading.

This combination supports accuracy, confidence, and a genuine enjoyment of books.

In Key Stage 2, children are assessed using the Salford Reading Test, which provides a reading age and Lexile range to help match them with books at the right level of challenge.

• Pupils choose their take-home reading books from class libraries organised by Lexile levels, promoting independence and steady progress.

• They are encouraged to read daily at home and explore a wide range of authors and genres through class discussions, recommendations, and shared reading.

Lending Library
From Year 2 upwards, all children can borrow books from the school’s Lending Library to enjoy alongside their home reading book. The library is managed by our School Librarians, who help keep it organised and welcoming for everyone.

Together, we aim to nurture fluent, thoughtful readers who find joy and meaning in books both at school and at home.

National Curriculum link: Reading National Curriculum