Early reading is a priority at St Minver School, and we are committed to developing confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers from the very beginning of a child’s school journey. Reading foundations are laid early, with children in our Nursery taking part in play‑based phonics and Love of Reading experiences that develop listening skills, sound awareness and enjoyment of books. From Reception, children follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, ensuring a systematic, consistent and high‑quality approach to phonics is in place from the first day of school.

Alongside daily phonics teaching, we place a strong emphasis on fostering a love of reading. Children read books closely matched to their phonics knowledge to build fluency and confidence, while also enjoying rich stories and texts through shared and whole‑class reading. We value working in partnership with families and support reading at home by providing guidance, decodable reading books and sharing books that encourage discussion and vocabulary development. Through this approach, we ensure that every child is supported to become a successful reader who enjoys reading for pleasure and purpose.