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    Phonics

    We love reading and believe that phonics is essential for developing and securing early reading skills.

     

    Intent

    At Croxby Primary School, our intent is to ensure that every child builds a strong foundation in early reading through high‑quality, systematic phonics teaching. We recognise that secure phonic knowledge is essential to enable children to decode unfamiliar words, read with increasing fluency, and become confident, enthusiastic readers. By using Bug Club Phonics, a DfE‑approved programme, we deliver a progressive, research‑informed approach that aligns with the National Curriculum and Early Learning Goals.

    Our aim is that all pupils:

    • Build accurate decoding skills and develop reading fluency by the end of Key Stage 1
    • Apply phonic knowledge confidently in both reading and spelling
    • Foster a love of language and reading that supports their wider English curriculum
    • Transition into Key Stage 2 with the necessary skills to access increasingly challenging texts

    Phonics is the foundation upon which early reading success is built, and our curriculum ensures every learner has the opportunity to master these essential skills.

    Here is a link to an external site which provides further information about the teaching of phonics.  All you need to know about phonics - Pearson - YouTube 

    Implementation

    Phonics is taught daily using a whole-class approach to ensure consistency, pace, and coverage for all pupils.

    • EYFS: 30‑minute morning phonics session and afternoon revision session
    • Year 1: 30‑minute morning phonics session and afternoon revision session
    • Year 2: 30-minute morning phonics session and a combined afternoon phonic revision and Spelling Shed session

    *To ensure all children keep up, targeted daily intervention groups are used to provide support to those who require additional practice.

    We follow an adapted, structured progression based on Bug Club Phonics, ensuring that phonemes, graphemes, and tricky words are introduced systematically and revisited regularly. Videos illustrating each sound, along with phase-specific resources, are available through linked materials to support learning both in school and at home. (Videos of the sounds taught in each phase and resources to support each phase can be found by clicking on the phase links).

    Here is a link to our Croxby Primary School phonics Long Term Plan.

    Reading books in EYFS and Key Stage 1 are carefully matched to each learner’s assessed current phonic phase. Bug Club’s finely levelled scheme provides both printed and online texts, enabling children to practise decoding accurately and with increasing independence. Each learner also has access to a personalised online reading platform where they can revisit texts, consolidate learning, and build confidence. In addition, the Bug Club programme offers engaging, tailored phonics games that allow children to explore and create their own interactive phonics world at home, making practice both meaningful and enjoyable, all while developing their own greater reading fluency.

    In Key Stage 2, phonics continues to be taught implicitly through structured spelling lessons, supporting pupils who still need reinforcement while developing wider spelling strategies.

    Our long-term phonics plan outlines:

    • The progression of phonemes through EYFS and Key Stage 1
    • When each phase is taught
    • Links between phonics teaching and decodable reading books

    This ensures consistency, continuity, and clarity for staff, pupils, and families. Click here to view our long-term phonics plan.

    Our Phonics Glossary

    To ensure a consistent approach to our sessions, we use the same key vocabulary during our lesson delivery.

    grapheme

    Written letters representing sounds, e.g. ‘a’. 

    phoneme

    How the graphemes sound when they are spoken (rather than ‘sound’). 

    digraph

    2 letters representing 1 sound, e.g. ‘sh’ in shop.

    split digraph

    2 letters representing 1 sound but split by another letter, e.g. ‘a-e’ in made. We do not refer to ‘magic e’.  

    trigraph

    3 letters representing 1 sound, e.g. ‘ear’ in dear.

    polysyllabic word

    a word that has more than one syllable, e.g. dolphin (dol-phin)

    phoneme fingers

    Representing a sound by pointing to one finger for one sound.  

    phoneme finger clap

    To be used with polysyllabic words when oral blending aloud.  

    blending

    Saying the individual sounds when reading then merging the sounds to make one word, e.g. “c – a – t…. cat”.  

    oral blending

    Saying the individual sounds aloud when reading then merging the sounds to make one word.

    segmenting

    Splitting a word into individual sounds for spelling, e.g. “cat… c – a – t”.

    decodable words

    Words that can be ‘worked out’ by saying the sounds and blending, e.g. “d – a – d… dad”.  

    non-decodable words

    Words that cannot be ‘worked out’ using phonic sounds, e.g. go. We refer to these as tricky/common exception words like the Bug Club program, but they are only ‘tricky until we know them!’. We use a small ‘T’ above the tricky bit to show that the rest of the word can be worked out phonetically.  

    pronunciation

    We ensure our pronunciation of each sound is correct, i.e. always using the shortest/purest sound, e.g. a quick ‘t’ not ‘ter’ or ‘tu’.  

    letter names

    Taught after the alphabet song from EYFS upwards and used for spelling words.  We don’t say ‘curly c’ and ‘kicking k’, we say ‘c’ and ‘k’.  

    Our Phonics Classroom Actions

    To ensure a simplified approach, we use our fingers to illustrate blending, segmenting and words within a sentence, rather than robot arms and other techniques. 

    Phoneme Fingers

    Learners copy the adult model by holding up their hands during blending and segmenting word activities. For example, blending/segmenting cat: c (point to thumb) a (point to index finger) t (point to middle finger), to blend the word together, the adult and learners gently brush across the fingers from left to right.

    Phoneme Fingers Clap

    Learners copy the adult model by holding up both hands during blending and segmenting polysyllabic word activities. For example, blending/segmenting dolphin: on the left hand, blend d-o-l and on the right hand blend ph-i-n. Learners copy the model of the adult saying ‘dol’ whilst moving the left hand, and ‘phin’ whilst moving the right hand, then clapping the hands together whilst blending ‘dolphin’.

    Phoneme Finger Jump

    Leaners copy the adult model by using the phoneme fingers action and then using the right hand to ‘jump’ when blending/segmenting a word with a split digraph. For example, blending/segmenting ‘here’: h (point to thumb) e (point to index finger and jump over middle finger to the ring finger) r (point to middle finger), the adult and learners gently brush across the fingers from left to right.

    Here is a link to an external site which provides support in correctly pronouncing the Phase 2 and 3 phonemes Bug Club Phonics Sound Board

    Impact

    Our systematic, consistent, and predictable approach to phonics—supported by well-established learning routines—helps to reduce cognitive load for our learners, enabling them to focus on mastering new skills withing phonics with confidence. As a result, learners gain the essential early reading foundations needed for future success. By the end of Year 2, learners are expected to read fluently, decode confidently, and begin to spell accurately using their secure phonic knowledge.

    We measure the impact of our phonics teaching through:

    • Ongoing formative assessment in daily lessons
    • Regular summative assessments to track progress
    • Daily interventions to ensure children keep up rather than catch up
    • Year 1 Phonics Screening Check outcomes

     Year 1 Phonics Screening Check Results

    Year

    2018

    2019

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    National %

    Pass by end of Year 1

    82%

    82%

    75%

    79%

    80%

    80%

    Croxby Primary School %

    Pass by end of Year 1

    93%

    88%

    86%

    87%

    87%

    83%

    These consistently strong outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and reflect the high priority we place on early reading. Children leave Key Stage 1 well-prepared for the demands of the curriculum, with the reading fluency and confidence needed to thrive across all subjects. Our phonics provision ensures that every child has the tools to become a capable, motivated, and independent reader—laying the foundations for success throughout their time at Croxby and beyond.

     

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