At Larkspur we use Little Wandle, a systematic, synthetic phonics programme in Early Years and Key Stage 1, for daily phonic sessions. This scheme provides a consistent approach to teaching letter sounds, blending, reading and early writing, across all classes. We have adapted the programme to meet the needs of our pupils, whilst keeping within the fidelity of the scheme of learning.

In Nursery, we develop the children’s foundation skills for Phonics by delivering early sounds e.g environmental sounds.

The children in Reception and Key Stage 1 are taught in small groups, matched to their phonetic ability which is assessed regularly. Children who require further support participate in ‘Keep Up’ sessions to ensure they make progress. All the staff who deliver the Phonic sessions have received training to teach the Little Wandle phonics programme.

We use the ‘Little Wandle’ resources such as phoneme cards and mnemonics to help teach Phonics. Additional videos and information on how we teach Phonics can be found on the Little Wandle website.