Phonics at Ruislip Gardens Primary School
At Ruislip Gardens Primary School, we are committed to developing confident, fluent readers and writers. Phonics is taught systematically in Reception and Key Stage 1 using the Department for Education (DfE) validated Twinkl Phonics scheme.
Our phonics curriculum is designed to:
- Equip children with the skills to become lifelong reader.
- Support children in becoming accurate and confident spellers.
- Help children understand that spelling is an important part of the writing process.
- Develop children’s understanding of how words are constructed.
- Build vocabulary and encourage exploration of a wide range of texts.
- Enable children to apply their phonics knowledge effectively in both reading and writing.
Teaching and Learning
In Reception and Key Stage 1, phonics is taught through a structured daily session lasting 20 minutes.
During the sessions the children are taught:
- Grapheme–phoneme correspondences in a clear and progressive sequence.
- How to blend sounds (phonemes) to read words.
- How to segment words into individual sounds to support spelling.
- That blending and segmenting are reversible and closely linked skills.
Reading books in Reception and Key Stage 1 are carefully matched to each child’s phonics level, ensuring that all children can practise and apply their learning with confidence.
Tricky Words
As part of learning phonics, children are introduced to “tricky words.” These are words that cannot be easily decoded using standard phonics rules because some of the sounds are irregular or do not follow expected patterns (for example, the, said, was).
Children are taught to recognise these words by sight, while also identifying any parts of the word that can be sounded out. Through regular practise, children build confidence in reading and spelling tricky words, enabling them to read more fluently and access a wider range of texts.
Additional Support in Key Stage 2
We recognise that some children may need further support to secure their phonics knowledge beyond Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, we provide targeted catch-up interventions for pupils who require additional phonics teaching. These sessions are carefully planned to revisit and consolidate key skills, ensuring that children continue to develop confidence and fluency in reading and spelling. Our aim is to support every child in becoming a successful, independent reader.
Phonics Phases
Phonics is taught in six progressive phases, each building on the skills and knowledge developed in the previous stage.
Phase 1 (Nursery/Reception)
This phase focuses on developing children’s listening skills. Children learn to identify and distinguish between different sounds in the environment, as well as rhythm and rhyme, and oral blending but do not yet learn letter sounds.
Phase Two (Reception)
Children begin learning individual letter sounds (phonemes) and how they are represented by letters (graphemes). They start blending sounds to read simple words (e.g. c-a-t) and segmenting sounds to spell them.
Phase Two phonics Letter formation mat Phase Two tricky words
Phase Three (Reception)
Children learn additional letter sounds, including digraphs (two letters making one sound, e.g. sh, ch, ee). They continue practising blending and segmenting to read and spell a wider range of words.
Phase Three phonics Letter formation mat Phase Three tricky words
Phase Four (Reception)
No new sounds are introduced. Instead, children practise and consolidate their skills by reading and spelling words with adjacent consonants (e.g. trap, milk), improving fluency and confidence.
Phase Five (Year 1)
Children learn alternative spellings and pronunciations for sounds (e.g. ay, a-e, ai). They become more flexible readers and spellers, applying their knowledge to more complex words.
Phase Five phonics mat Phase Five tricky words
Phase Six (Year 2)
This phase focuses on spelling rules and patterns, including prefixes, suffixes, and more complex word structures. Children develop greater accuracy, fluency, and independence in both reading and writing.
Phase Six phonics mat Phase Six tricky words
The children are encouraged to use the knowledge they have acquired in their phonics sessions in their reading and writing activities in all subjects.
Assessment
Children’s progress in phonics is carefully monitored through both ongoing and formal assessment. Teachers regularly assess pupils during daily phonics sessions, as well as through half-termly summative assessments, to ensure that learning is secure and to identify any areas for support.
In June, children in Year 1 take the statutory Phonics Screening Check. This is a short, one-to-one assessment carried out by the class teacher. During the check, children are asked to read a selection of real and pseudo (made-up) words to assess their ability to apply phonics skills.
The results of the screening check are shared with parents. Children who do not meet the expected standard receive additional targeted support and intervention to ensure they have the opportunity to secure these essential skills and will retake the screening in Year 2.