By the end of their time at Cumnor School we want children to be highly competent and enthusiastic readers. We believe that developing positive attitudes towards reading is crucial in children’s development. We prioritise ensuring that all children become fluent readers in their first few years at school and on promoting reading for pleasure across the school.
We have developed a diverse text rich curriculum, which is reviewed annually. We celebrate reading regularly with special events and assemblies. Through our reading curriculum we aim to give children a love of literature and effective lifelong communication skills. Reading is embedded into all curriculum areas and text drivers are used as a stimulus for high quality writing.
We celebrate reading regularly with special events, assemblies, World Book and Poetry Day, community book swaps and much more. We have a staff book club and value modelling of reading to our pupils at every opportunity. 
Early reading of phonic sounds and words is taught in Reception using the Sounds-Write phonics scheme. In year 1, synthetic phonics is still taught daily using the same scheme. Children take home books from the Dandelion launchers and readers scheme that are carefully matched to their phonics learning in school, in order to consolidate their skills and knowledge.
The Sounds-Write scheme will be taken forward into Year 2 in September 2023. Jelly and Bean phonic texts are used in Year 2 for those who still need phonics matched texts. See the phonics curriculum page for more details.
All pupils in Reception, Y1 and 2 also have an ability banded reading book from the book bands scheme to read for pleasure at their own level, and are encouraged to choose a book from the school library about anything they like to share with an adult at home.
In KS2, children continue to use the book banded scheme if they are consolidating independent reading skills using the scheme Project X. Y3 also make use of rapid readers. Both schemes are low threshold, high interest books aimed at older readers. KS2 pupils also make use of class libraries and a well equipped and regular updated main library.
Guided and whole class reading also feature throughout the school, where a mixture of both is used to refine and develop skills of word reading, but also to progressively build skills in comprehension, prediction, vocabulary, sequencing, retrieval and inference.
We make extensive use of effective research based interventions such as NELI and FFT and Acceleread, Accelewrite to support reading further for those who may need it. 
We are lucky to have a bank of community reading volunteers, including some trained in the ARCH approach, who support consistent and quality reading practice in school. Click on the links below to see our curriculum maps.
Reception -Y6 reading progression map Book bands progression map Phonic matched books progression map
| YR text rich curriculum map | Y1 text rich curriculum map | Y2 text rich curriculum map |
| Y3 text rich curriculum map | Y4 text rich curriculum map | Y5 text rich curriculum map |
| Y6 text rich curriculum map |
Here is a video to explain our approach to reading and phonics and how parents can help:
(Please note this video refers to Jolly Phonics which is no longer in use as of Sep 2022, The video will be updated soon)
Here are the leaflets from our recent reading parent information meeting (September 2022):
Soundswrite information for parents 2022