What scheme do we use?

Sparken Hill Academy follow one of the DfE's validated synthetic systematic phonics (SSP) programs called 'Bug Club' to teach phonics from phase 2 to phase 6 in Foundation 2 and Key Stage One. The Bug Club scheme is a graduated approach and introduces a new sound/rule daily to the children, following a repetitive structure, embedding reading, spelling and writing skills daily. Year 2 children and Key Stage Two children follow the Spelling Shed scheme for phonics/spelling learning. Children in Key Stage 2 who did not pass their Y1 phonics screening check or the re-test in Y2, still receive the Spelling Shed whole class teaching during phonics time but in addition receive high quality focused phonics intervention to catch up, this takes place throughout the day.    

How do we teach phonics?

Children are taught phonics daily and all children receive a whole class, age-related, phonics input. Children who are working below age related expectations and require additional support to catch up, receive small group/1-to-1 targeted phonics intervention at another time during the day. A robust tracking system is used to ensure we monitor pupil progress in phonics.

Phonics through the ages in FS and KS1

In F1, children begin Phase 1 phonics from their start date. Children take part in small group sessions with their key worker every day for 15 minutes. Phase 1 is taught through a range of activities to develop phonological awareness such as listening games to discriminate environmental, voice and instrumental sounds and also rhyme, alliteration and rhythm games. The children also have lots of experience with oral segmenting and blending (hearing d-o-g makes dog) throughout the day to prepare them for phase 2 learning in F2. 

In F2, children begin Phase 2 from the Autumn term, learning the links between individual letters and their sounds (phoneme-grapheme correspondence). Phase 3 is introduced in the Spring term and Phase 4 in the Summer term. F2 phonics is taught daily for 20-30 minutes a day. 

In Year 1 and Year 2, pupils have two daily phonics learning sessions for 20-30 minutes a day. Year 1 recap F2 learning in Autumn 1 and are then taught Phase 5 phonemes from Autumn 2 until the end of the year. Year 2 recap Y1 learning in Autumn 1 and are then taught Phase 6 from Autumn 2 until the end of the year. 

See below for yearly expectations...

Phonics in Foundation Stage 2

Phonics in Key Stage One 

The Parent workshop for Speech and Language development, Phonics and Early reading in Foundation Stage: