Subject Information: English
Phonics Documents
Children in the EYFS, Year 1 and 2, take part in daily phonics sessions following a Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme by ALS (Ann Louise Smalberger Letters and Sounds). Children start Phase 2 phonics as soon as they enter Reception so that they acquire the key skills necessary to read and spell and are well prepared for transition to Year 1. Staff have been fully trained to ensure a consistent and structured approach is used across all phases. Additional Phonics sessions are delivered across the school as part of the interventions we offer at Mellor.
- ALS Phonics Letters and Sounds Progression and Pace Phonics Overview
- ALS Phonics Letters and Sounds Phonics Overview
Reading Documents
Reading is prioritised at Mellor because we recognise it is the key to children unlocking the wider curriculum. Staff actively foster and promote a love for reading and regularly share and recommend texts to children.
Children in all year groups take part in guided and shared reading sessions throughout the week.
In the EYFS, guided reading sessions use decodable books that match the phonics programme and phonemes being taught. The books allow children the opportunity to practice their phonics knowledge and apply this to the books they are reading. Children in the EYFS also take part in whole class shared reading sessions using big books. They have the opportunity to read the book alongside the class teacher. The children discuss the books, make predictions, develop their language comprehension skills and vocabulary and hunt for key high frequency words they are learning.
In KS1, we use shared reading to focus on developing the four key skills of comprehension; predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising. At the start of each lesson, the teacher models the key reading skills in a shared reading session and the pupils are given the chance to apply these. Following on from shared reading, guided reading sessions that take place during the week will focus on embedding the skills taught. Children still learning phonics in KS1 will use a decodable text for their guided reading session matched to the phonemes being taught.
In KS2 we follow the Reciprocal Reading approach to continue to develop the four key skills of comprehension; predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising building on from the skills and strategies children are taught in KS1. Short stories or extracts from a variety of texts are utilised and often link to other curriculum areas and topics children are studying. The lesson structure remains the same in KS2 with the addition of guided reading activities and small group discussion tasks to embed the key reading strategies. Comprehension is further developed through the use of book journal activities.
We run a number of Reading interventions to ensure that children who fall behind are supported to catch up quickly.
Writing Documents
Policies
Curriculum Documents
Useful Websites
![]() |
|
Mellor English on Twitter
We all enjoyed celebrating World Book Day. We dressed up as our favourite characters from a book we have read! Can you guess the book titles? 📖📚#WorldBookDay2023 pic.twitter.com/8zUmlZvGsb
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 2, 2023
Reading Champions have delivered scrap books and World Book day Vouchers to classes to celebrate and promote reading for pleasure! #enjoyreading 📖📒 pic.twitter.com/MJKC75zFif
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 2, 2023
5LD are getting inspired this World Book Day by taking part in the BBC Live lesson. #BBClivelesson #worldbookday #getinspired #readingforpleasure pic.twitter.com/DdZGg6NHoO
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 2, 2023
6SA really enjoyed World Book Day and dressing up as our favourite book characters! #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/UscdBtyegI
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 2, 2023
Today the year 1 children have bought their favorite teddy to school as we are learning how to write instructions on looking after our teddy. We used role play to create imperatives about what we do with them and write simple captions. #Dogger #ShirleyHughes #year1writing pic.twitter.com/5W1UeS1W4M
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) November 7, 2022
RSR have been busy with their writing. Look at our letter formation. We love working in the writing area.#phonics ✏️✏️ pic.twitter.com/rNgQYEb3rx
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) September 28, 2022
Thank you to @mirror_write for sending us inclusive story books. Our Reading champions have enjoyed reading them. The books will now be included in our reading corners! #representationmatters #readtheworld @Zendibble @kellyyanghk @BZephaniah @cedellamarley 📖📚 pic.twitter.com/qzBZiimhLG
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 9, 2022
Year 2 have been writing pen pal letters as part of their topic on Leicester and India. Children looked at letter features and practised peer editing. ðŸ“ÂÂÂ✉ï¸ÂÂÂ#letterwriting #Leicester pic.twitter.com/5xPOUI7Mds
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 11, 2022
Reception have been learning about the 'igh' sound. They have also been learning how to make their sentences longer using 'and'. #phonics pic.twitter.com/rMNvsxxFqc
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 14, 2022
Year 4 have been improving their vocabulary by building up noun phrases and expanded noun phrases about natural disasters to use in their non-chronological reports! #KeepImproving #NewVocabulary pic.twitter.com/Ts46Jn3ODQ
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 1, 2022
Year 5 have participated in a @BBC_Teach Live Lesson for #WorldBookDay2022 where they've identified the five key elements of their favourite story as well as written or drawn an advert for their favourite book! #ReadingforPleasure pic.twitter.com/VSIH4TEWXU
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 3, 2022
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 3, 2022
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 3, 2022
We had a great day celebrating #WorldBookDay in our costumes! #readingforpleasure pic.twitter.com/9fb26v6jME
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 3, 2022
Nursery had the privilege of meeting Carol Cafferty who wrote the book 'Gracie's Forest Adventure'. The children were excited to meet her and loved hearing about the characters’s adventure. 🌳📖 pic.twitter.com/hAwsdio2d7
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) March 8, 2022
Year 2 loved reading about Barbara and could relate to having a ‘Wobbler’ What a fantastic book! 📖🌟 @NadiaShireen @LeicesterWiT @MidlandsCLS @leicesterlibrar #OBPBLeicester #wobbler pic.twitter.com/UATRDK4rL0
— Mellor Community Primary School (@mellorschool) January 31, 2022