Phoenix Class
About Us
Phoenix Class is a class of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children.
The classrooms are located in the main building with direct access to a playground designed for use by younger children. It has toilet facilities very close by and its own cloakroom space. Our class benefits from outdoor areas nearby which we use very frequently. throughout the year, no matter the weather.
Class Teacher
Mrs Fee Wells
Classroom Assistants
Ms Adele Darroch
One of the classrooms is organised for Reception children and they have free flow access to outside. The other is where the Key stage 1 children usually work. Resources are organised so that children know where to go to access the things they need.
Learning Overview
Ways to Help Your Child
Here are some ideas for how you can help your child to make the most of the opportunities they encounter in school.
Do not fill all their weekends with lots of activities, sometimes just let them be! Most importantly have fun and enjoy!
Home Learning
Your child will receive a reading book for them to share at home with you. We expect children to read at least 3 times a week at home. Some children will also receive key words or phonic sounds that they may need help to consolidate at home.
Phonics
Read Write Inc. Phonics is a literacy programme developed by Ruth Miskin and published by Oxford University Press. It is taught in over 5000 schools in the United Kingdom, making it the country’s most popular way for children to learn to read using phonics.
In the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, children learn sounds and the letters that represent them, and how to form the letters. Then, they read books written using only the letters they have learnt (and a small number of separately taught ‘tricky words’). This gives children plenty of early success and builds up their reading confidence.
| Phase | Phonic Knowledge and Skills |
|---|---|
| Learning Set 1 Speed | These are the Set 1 Speed Sounds written with one letter:
m a s d t i n p g o c k u b f e l h r j v y w z x These are the sounds written with two letters (your child will call these ‘special friends’): sh th ch qu ng nk ck |
| Learning to blend with Set 1 Speed Sounds | Your child is learning to read words containing Set 1 Speed Sounds by sound blending. For example:
m-a-t mat c-a-t cat g-o-t got f-i-sh fish s-p-o-t spot b-e-s-t best s-p-l-a-sh splash |
| Learning Set 2 Speed Sounds | These are the Set 2 Speed Sounds:
ay ee igh ow (as in blow) oo (as in zoo) oo(as in look) ar or air ir ou (as in out) oy |
| Learning Set 3 Speed Sounds | These are Set 3 Speed Sounds:
ea (as in tea) oi (as in spoil) a–e (as in cake) i–e (as in smile) o–e (as in home) u–e (as in huge) aw (as in yawn) are (as in care) ur (as in nurse) er (as in letter) ow (as in brown) ai (as in snail) oa (as in goat) ew (as in chew) ire (as in fire) ear (as in hear) ure (as in pure) |
| What is Fred Talk? | If your child’s school is using Read Write Inc. Phonics, teachers will introduce your child to a toy frog called Fred once he or she is ready to start reading words.
Fred can only say the sounds in a word and needs your child to help him read the word. Fred will say the sounds and children will work out the word. For example, Fred will say the sounds c–a–t, and children will say the word cat. This is Fred Talk: sounding out the word. |
Children at the end of year 1 complete a phonics screening assessment. The Year 1 phonics screening check is not a formal test, but a way for teachers to ensure that children are making sufficient progress with their phonics skills to read words and that they are on track to become fluent readers who can enjoy reading for pleasure and for learning. Year 1 children usually take the phonics screening check in early June.
All of our reading books are phonetically decodable and children receive books based on where they are working within their phonics session. Children should be able to read fluently at least 90% of the book that they share with you at home.
During our guided reading sessions which happen once a week, children will tackle a more challenging book and this is where we will work on comprehension and developing their fluency skills.
We also access online reading books through Collins Ebooks and each child has their own login details to enable them to access this at home.
Pupil Assessment
Teachers are continually assessing children through questioning and reviewing their work.
Records of progress are kept in order that we can plan lessons, which match each child’s needs and ability.
Formal tests are taken at specific points in-line with Government requirements.
There is a Baseline Assessment undertaken by teachers in the first few weeks of children starting in Reception. During the Reception Year the teacher completes the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile which is discussed and reported to parents at the end of the year.
Pupils undertake a Phonics Screening Test in Year 1 and if necessary, retake in Year 2.
Year 2 and Year 6 pupils (at the end of each Key Stage) take Standard Assessment Tests. Results are reported to parents and used by the school to monitor our standards.
As we have very small cohorts in each year the results of ‘formal assessments’ may not be published, but as a school will evaluate performance on an individual basis.