What is our aim in teaching Phonics?
Our aim is to help children learn how to read, spell and write with confidence. We want children to understand how spoken sounds link to written letters, so reading and writing make sense.
How does our curriculum work?
In Preschool, children are not taught formal phonics yet. Instead, they develop early listening and sound skills using Twinkl Phonics, which prepares them for learning to read and write in Reception.
Children take part in fun, play-based activities that help them notice patterns, talk about what they hear, and develop strong early sound and listening skills. This foundation ensures they move smoothly into more formal phonics lessons later on.
From Foundation Stage to Year 2, we use a phonics programme called Sounds-Write. This programme starts with something all children already know – the sounds in their own language. From there, children learn how these sounds are written down using letters. This strong start helps children become confident readers and writers and supports learning across the whole curriculum.
Sounds-Write follows a clear, step-by-step order. Children learn one small piece at a time, building their knowledge slowly and securely. They are taught how the 44 or so sounds in English can be written in different ways.
Children regularly practise what they already know while learning new sounds and spellings. This helps them feel confident and ready to move on.
What are the key principles of our Phonics curriculum?
Our Phonics curriculum is structured, supportive and ambitious for all children.
Sounds-Write:
Lessons include lots of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Children practise sounds, read words and sentences, and spell words every day. Extra support is given when needed so all children can succeed.
How does our curriculum help children to know more and remember more over time?
Children revisit sounds and spellings often so learning sticks. Each lesson includes review and practice of earlier learning before new content is introduced.
The same sounds and spellings are used in:
Teachers check children’s understanding during lessons and give help straight away if something is tricky. This helps children build secure reading and spelling skills over time.
What is taught and when?
Phonics is taught daily in from Preschool to Year 2.
In Preschool, children are developing early listening and sound skills using Twinkl Phonics, which prepares them for learning to read and write in Reception.
Children take part in fun, play-based activities that help them:
Then, through Sounds-Write in Foundation Stage to Year 2, children learn:
In EYFS and Year 1, children read decodable reading books from Sounds-Write and Dandelion Readers. These books match exactly what children are learning in their phonics lessons, so they can read them successfully and confidently.
Through Phonics, children learn that words are made up of sounds, and that these sounds are written using letters. They learn how to blend sounds to read words and how to break words into sounds to spell them. This gives children a strong start in reading and writing, which supports learning in all subjects.
How is Phonics taught in Preschool and Foundation Stage?
In Preschool and Early Years (EYFS), children begin phonics learning through listening, speaking and play.
They:
In Reception, children start daily Sounds-Write phonics lessons. These lessons are short, active and fun, helping children build strong early reading and spelling skills.
How much Phonics teaching happens each week?
Preschool ‘lessons’ usually last around 10 minutes where as children in Reception and Key Stage 1 have daily phonics lessons, usually lasting around 20–30 minutes.
Children who need extra practice or support receive additional help, so everyone has the chance to make good progress.
In Summary
Our approach to teaching phonics helps children to:
