Our Curriculum: Phonics

At Bushey Primary Education Federation, we believe that learning to read is the gateway to lifelong learning and is the highest priority in the early years of education. We deliver our phonics curriculum through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a systematic, synthetic phonics programme that provides every child with the knowledge and skills to become accurate, fluent and confident readers.

Phonics teaching begins from the moment children start Reception and is delivered through daily, carefully sequenced lessons. Following the Little Wandle progression, children develop secure knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences and learn to blend and segment confidently, enabling them to decode unfamiliar words and apply their phonics knowledge in both reading and writing.

Through regular assessment, adaptive teaching and immediate keep-up support, we ensure that every child keeps pace with the programme and experiences success. Reading practice sessions are carefully matched to each child's phonic knowledge, enabling pupils to develop fluency, prosody and comprehension as their confidence grows. Our staff receive ongoing training and coaching to ensure phonics is taught consistently and with fidelity across the federation.

Alongside daily phonics teaching, children are immersed in high-quality stories, rhymes and rich language experiences that develop vocabulary, communication and a genuine love of reading. By securing strong foundations in phonics, we empower every child to become a fluent, enthusiastic reader who is ready to access our ambitious curriculum and thrive throughout their education.