Strong phonics teaching provides the foundation for fluent reading and confident writing. At Bawnmore, we ensure every child secures the phonic knowledge they need to read and spell with confidence. From the very start, children are supported to develop accuracy and automaticity, enabling them to decode, blend, segment, and manipulate sounds effectively.

Curriculum

Our phonics curriculum is ambitious, systematic, and carefully sequenced from Reception through Year 2. A golden thread runs through everything we do—strong relationships, emotional wellbeing, and a sense of belonging—because we know these are essential for successful learning.

We aim for children to:

• Secure phonic knowledge and apply it confidently in reading and writing
• Develop fluency and automaticity in decoding
• Be well-prepared for the reading and spelling demands of Key Stage 2

Teaching

Phonics is taught daily using the Floppy’s Phonics systematic synthetic phonics programme. Our approach includes:

• Discrete, high-quality phonics lessons with clear progression across phases
• Interactive, multisensory teaching using flashcards, digital tools, and games
• Application opportunities embedded in continuous provision in Reception and Year 1
• Frequent assessment to identify gaps and provide timely interventions
• Fully decodable reading books matched to each child’s phonics stage
• Explicit teaching of spelling patterns, suffixes, and rules in Year 2, supported by Spelling Shed
• Strong home-school links to help parents support phonics learning at home

Achievement

By the end of Key Stage 1, children:

• Have secure phonic knowledge and can confidently decode unfamiliar words
• Apply phonics accurately when reading and writing
• Read with fluency and automaticity
• Are ready for the demands of Key Stage 2

SEND and Inclusion

We ensure all children succeed in phonics through:

• Early identification and targeted interventions
• Pre-teaching of key vocabulary and texts
• Scaffolded tasks and adapted resources
• 1:1 and small-group support for decoding and comprehension

Further resources that support our phonics curriculum, which you can also use at home, can be found below.