Reading
The Porthleven Way of Reading
Subject Leader: Mrs. Louise Figgins
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin
Our Reading Intent
At Porthleven, reading is at the heart of our curriculum and our community, both as a key driver of learning and as a source of lifelong enjoyment. From Nursery to Year 6, we nurture fluent, thoughtful readers through high-quality texts, expert teaching, and rich reading experiences.
We believe that reading unlocks every subject, empowers critical thinking, and fuels imagination. Our children learn to read confidently and purposefully, but also to love stories, seek knowledge, and find their own voices. Through the power of reading, we grow minds, inspire hearts, and shape futures.
The Porthleven Way
We believe that every child should feel safe in their reading journey, knowing they are supported when taking risks, asking questions and are encouraged to explore new texts with confidence. Through our use of high-quality teaching, exciting reading opportunities, and access to diverse texts, we celebrate and build curiosity and confidence.
At Porthleven, every child belongs to a community of readers. We celebrate books together, share recommendations, and create a sense of togetherness through a shared love of stories and knowledge.
We teach children to be responsible readers—choosing books that challenge, inspire, and broaden their views, and taking ownership of their reading journeys with pride and purpose. They value different genres and authors, and build positive reading habits. Children take pride in becoming independent, engaged readers.
Through guided practice and joyful exploration, children learn how to decode, question, infer, imagine, and grow—developing the skills they need to unlock learning across the curriculum and throughout their lives.
Above all, we believe every child can become a confident, capable, and passionate reader, equipped with the skills and love of reading to enrich their lives now and in the future.
What will children learn from the reading curriculum at Porthleven?
EYFS and KS1
From the very first days in school, children develop early reading skills through a systematic phonics program (Read Write Inc.), building accuracy, fluency, and enjoyment. This approach builds accuracy, fluency, and a growing enjoyment of reading. Children explore a rich variety of picture books, stories, and non-fiction texts to deepen their understanding of language and the world. Reading is brought to life through storytelling, drawing clubs, and family reading initiatives, helping to foster a strong reading culture from the outset.
Reading is also embedded across the wider curriculum, with carefully chosen texts supporting learning in all subjects, such as science, history, and geography, enhancing vocabulary and deepening understanding from an early stage.
KS2
As children become confident, fluent readers, we deepen their comprehension skills through exploring a wide range of high-quality fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Using the VIPERS approach underpins every session and provides explicit vocabulary teaching, guided discussion and choral reading techniques, ensures that we strengthen fluency, comprehension, and critical thinking. Our carefully selected Reading Spine opens windows to diverse texts linked to global, historical, and cultural themes.
Reading continues to be a central thread across all subjects. A wide variety of specifically selected texts are used in lessons beyond English, enabling children to access and engage with key concepts in the wider curriculum. These texts are chosen to deepen subject knowledge, build technical vocabulary, and support children in making meaningful cross-curricular links.
Independent reading is championed through Accelerated Reader and rich library resources, empowering children to explore genres, authors, and themes that ignite their interests. Targeted interventions ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive as a reader.
Curriculum Impact
Learning to Read:
Children develop secure phonics knowledge, fluency, and confidence through a structured, consistent early reading approach, giving them the tools they need to access the wider curriculum.
Reading to Learn:
As fluent readers, reading becomes the tool through which children explore knowledge, deepen thinking, and engage with the curriculum and beyond.
Reading for Life:
Children cultivate a lifelong love of reading, choosing books for pleasure, for growth, and for connection with the world around them, ready to be thoughtful and informed citizens of the future.
Reading at Porthleven is evident in all areas: we offer an abundance of experiences and opportunities.
• Local author visits and workshops for all key stages
• Recommended reads in the weekly newsletter
• Book fairs every term
• Access to quality reads in every classroom that are regularly changed by class librarians.
• Virtual author events promoting a wide range of diverse and cultural texts.
• Central library, which is fully accessible at all times.
• Special events – sponsored reads, assemblies, local library competitions.
• Community reading with Age Concern – in and out of school.
• Themed reading days – World Book Day, Poetry Week, wider curriculum events
• The battle of the books.
• Staff Share Board – favourite reads and latest book reviews.
• MyON – reading library at home through Accelerated Reader
• BorrowBox – free online Cornwall library service on all Google Classrooms
• Parent invites to reading workshops – Learning to Read and Reading to Learn focuses.
• Parent Early Reading videos shared on Google Classroom
• Pupil recommendations on their favourite reads
• Branching out Posters – Supporting book recommendations for children who have been hooked by a particular series or author and want similar reads.
Our children believe:
“When you read a book, you are somewhere different and you view the world through someone else.” (Year 5)
“I love Battle of the Books.”(Year 1)
“I love picturing other characters and losing yourself in a book. You get to use your imagination.” (Year 3)
“Once I get really into a book, I just can’t put it down.” (Year 2)
“I love reading Alex Rider because the story grabs you. They’re full of action-packed missions and you feel you’re part of MI6.”
(Year 6)
“Borrowbox has helped me love reading again. I can listen and read at the same time, which means I can read what I enjoy”
(Year 6)
New Recommended Book Lists for 2025-2026
How many do you own?
2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y6
2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y5
2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y4
2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y3
2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y2
2025-Checklist-50-Best-Books-Y1