Reading

At Leopold Primary School, we believe that reading is at the heart of all learning. It opens doors to imagination, curiosity and knowledge, and provides children with the foundations they need to succeed across the curriculum. Through our whole-school approach and the use of Destination Reader in Key Stage 2, we aim to develop fluent, confident and enthusiastic readers who enjoy reading for both pleasure and purpose.

Our intent is that children:

• Develop a lifelong love of reading.
• Become independent and reflective readers.
• Build strong comprehension skills across a wide range of texts.
• Use reading as a tool to explore, imagine and understand the world around them.

We want every child to leave Leopold as a confident reader who can talk about books with understanding and insight.

Implementation

Reading is taught daily across the school through a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum that builds progressively from Early Years to Year 6.

In EYFS and Key Stage 1, children learn to read through high-quality phonics teaching, rich vocabulary experiences and exposure to a wide range of stories, rhymes and non-fiction. Early comprehension skills are developed through talk, questioning and shared reading.

In Key Stage 2, Destination Reader provides a structured framework that teaches comprehension strategies, supports reading fluency and develops children’s ability to discuss texts thoughtfully. Each lesson combines teacher modelling, structured partner talk and opportunities for pupils to apply skills independently.

Across the school, children experience a broad reading diet through:

• Daily reading lessons

• Regular independent reading

• Whole-class and guided reading

• Story time and exposure to quality literature

• Cross-curricular reading opportunities

We promote reading widely through author visits, library sessions, book-themed events and displays that celebrate children’s achievements as readers.

What is Destination Reader?

Destination Reader is a structured reading approach used in Key Stage 2 that focuses on comprehension, vocabulary development and reading fluency. It supports children to think deeply about texts, make connections and discuss their ideas confidently.

Each lesson blends whole-class reading, partner talk and independent reading practice, enabling children to build both skill and confidence.

Lesson Structure

A typical Destination Reader lesson includes:

Whole-Class Reading
Teachers model fluent reading, explore vocabulary and introduce key themes.

Partner Discussion
Children work with a talk partner to share ideas, question the text and develop understanding.

Focused Comprehension
Pupils use specific reading strategies to analyse the text and answer questions.

Independent Practice
Children apply the strategies independently when exploring a range of texts.

Reading Strategies

Destination Reader teaches a consistent set of strategies to support deeper understanding, including:

• Predicting

• Clarifying

• Questioning

• Summarising

• Making Inferences

• Evaluating

• Making Connections

These strategies help children become thoughtful, analytical and capable readers.

Supporting All Learners

Reading is accessible to all pupils at Leopold through carefully planned support and challenge.

We ensure this by:

• Providing high-quality modelling and shared reading.

• Using scaffolds such as sentence stems, vocabulary prompts and guided questioning.

• Offering additional phonics or comprehension support for pupils who need it.

• Using targeted small-group interventions where necessary.

• Ensuring that texts are inclusive, engaging and age-appropriate.

• Extending learning for confident readers through challenging texts, deeper questioning and independent projects.

Every child is supported to become a successful, confident reader regardless of their starting point.

Talk Partners

Discussion is a key element of Destination Reader. Children are taught to talk respectfully, listen attentively and respond thoughtfully. Partner talk supports deeper thinking, builds vocabulary and encourages a collaborative reading culture across classrooms.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage 2, children at Leopold:

• Read fluently and with expression

• Understand and analyse increasingly complex texts

• Use a wide range of strategies to support comprehension

• Explain and justify their ideas using evidence from the text

• Show enthusiasm for reading both in and beyond school

Progress is monitored through regular teacher assessments, comprehension tasks, discussion and pupil voice. This ensures all children are supported and challenged appropriately.

Supporting Reading at Home

Parents and carers can play a vital role in supporting reading by:

• Encouraging daily reading at home

• Talking about books and asking questions such as “Why do you think that happened?”

• Sharing a variety of texts, including stories, non-fiction and poetry

• Visiting libraries and exploring books together