In the early years and primary phase at Harleston Sancroft Academy we believe in enabling all our children to flourish into fluent readers. We value reading as a key life attribute and believe that it is essential for academic success. Through our progressive skills-based curriculum, based on our school values (hope, perseverance, wisdom, love, respect & faith), children build on the learning foundations, embed knowledge-rich vocabulary and skills that support them to develop literacy skills necessary to ‘live life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10). Our children develop expertise in reading and spelling during daily phonics lessons linked to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and the National Curriculum. We aim for children to read words and sentences by the end of Reception, phonics is given high priority throughout Reception and Year 1, in order for children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage 1.We value and encourage pupils to explore and develop a love of reading, and recognise that this starts with the foundations of acquiring letters sounds and mastering skills in segmenting and blending.