The subject leader for Phonics is Mrs Bainbridge.

Our approach to phonics is 'Supersonic Phonic Friends.'  This programme is a fully systematic, synthetic phonic approach ranging from the simple to the complex spellings of the alphabetic code. Supported by their Supersonic Phonic friends, this approach will ensure children develop confidence and apply each skill to their own reading and writing.

The benefits of this approach include:

• Active engagement at all times ensuring every session is maximised, making every minute count. Fun and physical indoor and outdoors and so much more...
• Supersonic Phonic Friends fully meets the DFE’s 16 Essential Core Criteria. It ensures commitment, consistent, creative quality first teaching of phonics across all key stages.
• Injecting new life into phonics. Exciting, engaging and brain friendly phonics made simple and easy for teachers and children.
• Supersonic Phonic Friends has parent workshops, activities and weekly parent newsletters for all the phases to support and carry on learning at home learning.

Please visit the website for more information.

Reading Schemes

At Irk Valley, we use a range of reading book schemes for home reading. This is to ensure that our children experience a wider range of texts from a variety of authors, genres and styles.

We use the following schemes:

• Phonics Bug
• Collins: Big Cat
• Oxford Reading Tree: Project X, Treetops and Floppy's Phonics

Phonics Screening Check

The children in Year 1 complete a Phonics Screening Check, every year in June.  This assesses and shows how well the child can use and apply the phonics skills that they've learnt up to the end of Year 1.