Reading Curriculum Statements: Explore and Pioneer

KS1 Reading — Explore Curriculum

Intent

The Explore Reading Curriculum aims to develop pupils’ early reading skills, confidence and enjoyment through a structured, accessible and engaging approach. Pupils develop phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills, alongside the oracy skills needed to discuss, explain and retell what they have read.

Reading is linked to wider curriculum topics wherever possible, providing opportunities for overlearning, repetition and meaningful application of knowledge. Texts are selected to reflect pupils’ individual reading abilities, interests and developmental needs, while maintaining age-appropriate content. Teachers may also select texts that complement the genre or intended outcome of English lessons, helping pupils transfer their understanding between reading and writing.

Implementation

Reading is taught through a consistent weekly structure, allowing pupils to revisit key skills and develop familiarity with lesson routines. Teachers select at least one reading skill to teach explicitly in each lesson, using the agreed structure of I do, We do, You do. This provides opportunities for adult modelling, supported practice and independent application.

Fluency and reading are prioritised in every Monday lesson, with pupils practising accurate decoding, blending, expression and phrasing at an appropriate level. Pupils verbally read during every lesson to develop oracy, confidence, vocabulary and their ability to communicate their understanding.

Texts are chosen to support the wider curriculum topic and provide opportunities for overlearning. Teachers may align reading texts with the genre being studied in English or create bespoke texts linked to curriculum content, written at the class’s average Accelerated Reader (AR) level where appropriate.

Accelerated Reader Star Reading assessments are completed by pupils every big term. The results provide a reading age, an indication of whether additional intervention is required, areas for targeted teaching and a recommended reading book level. Teachers use this information alongside lesson-based assessment and professional judgement to plan appropriate next steps.

Weekly teaching structure

Day	Reading skills	Oracy opportunities
Monday	Phonics, decoding, fluency and prediction	Practise sounds, blend words, read aloud and predict what may happen next.
Tuesday	Vocabulary and language	Discuss word meanings, describe characters and objects, and suggest alternative words.
Wednesday	Retrieval and comprehension	Answer questions, locate information and explain answers verbally.
Thursday	Sequencing and inference	Retell events in order and use clues to discuss characters’ feelings and actions.
Friday	Summarising and retelling	Retell the text, identify key events and explain what happened at the beginning, middle and end.

Impact

Pupils develop increased confidence, accuracy and fluency in reading, alongside a growing understanding of vocabulary, stories and information texts. They become more able to answer questions, retrieve information, sequence events, make simple inferences and communicate their understanding verbally.

Regular assessment enables staff to identify gaps in reading development and provide targeted support where necessary. Accelerated Reader Star Reading results help monitor progress in reading age, identify intervention needs and inform appropriate book-level selection. Over time, pupils develop greater independence, improved comprehension and positive attitudes towards reading, supporting their transition into the more advanced reading demands of the Pioneer Curriculum.

 

KS2 Reading — Pioneer Curriculum

Intent

The Pioneer Reading Curriculum aims to develop fluent, independent and analytical readers who can understand, interpret and respond to a wide range of texts. Pupils build on their foundational reading skills by developing vocabulary, retrieval, inference, prediction, summarising, sequencing, comparison and understanding of authorial choices and text structure.

Reading supports pupils’ wider curriculum learning through carefully selected texts linked to topic content, enabling knowledge to be revisited, reinforced and applied across subjects. Where appropriate, teachers align reading genres with English writing outcomes, helping pupils recognise text features, develop their understanding of language and transfer reading knowledge into their own writing.

The curriculum recognises that pupils may work at different reading levels from their chronological age. Text selection, teaching approaches and assessment are therefore adapted to support individual progress while maintaining ambitious expectations for comprehension, vocabulary and engagement.

Implementation

Reading follows a consistent weekly structure, with teachers selecting at least one key reading skill to teach explicitly in each lesson. Lessons follow the I do, We do, You do approach, ensuring that pupils experience clear modelling, guided practice and opportunities to apply skills independently.

Every Monday lesson includes reading and fluency practice, focusing on accuracy, automaticity, phrasing, pace and expression as appropriate to pupils’ needs. Pupils verbally read during every lesson, developing oracy through discussion, explanation, questioning and the justification of answers using evidence from the text.

Texts are linked to wider curriculum topics to support overlearning and strengthen pupils’ retention of knowledge. Teachers may mirror the genre of the current English writing outcome within reading lessons, reinforcing pupils’ understanding of purpose, audience, language and structure. Bespoke texts may also be created around curriculum topics at the class’s average AR level, allowing pupils to access relevant content while practising targeted reading skills.

Accelerated Reader Star Reading assessments are completed every big term. Results provide a reading age, indicate whether intervention may be required, identify areas for targeted teaching and recommend a suitable reading book level. Teachers use these results alongside ongoing formative assessment, observations and pupils’ responses to texts to adapt teaching and plan interventions.

Weekly teaching structure

Day	Reading skills	Oracy opportunities
Monday	Decoding, fluency, prediction and text structure	Read aloud with expression, predict outcomes and explain how the text is organised.
Tuesday	Vocabulary and language choice	Explore meanings, discuss synonyms and explain the effect of an author’s word choices.
Wednesday	Retrieval	Locate information, select textual evidence and explain answers clearly.
Thursday	Sequencing, inference and comparison	Explain characters’ motives, sequence events, compare viewpoints and justify interpretations.
Friday	Summarising	Identify main ideas, distinguish key details from supporting information and summarise the text verbally.

Impact

Pupils become increasingly fluent, independent and thoughtful readers who can access a broader range of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and other text types. They develop their ability to retrieve information, infer meaning, justify interpretations, analyse language choices, compare texts and summarise key information.

Regular opportunities for verbal reading and discussion strengthen pupils’ oracy, vocabulary and confidence in explaining their thinking. Links with wider curriculum topics reinforce subject knowledge and support pupils in making connections between reading, writing and learning across the curriculum.

Accelerated Reader Star Reading assessments provide a consistent measure of reading development and help staff identify pupils requiring further intervention, establish appropriate reading targets and select suitable reading levels. Combined with ongoing classroom assessment, this supports responsive teaching and enables pupils to make progress from their individual starting points towards greater reading independence and comprehension.

Shared principles across Explore and Pioneer

Curriculum principle	How it is applied
Consistent lesson structure	Every lesson follows I do, We do, You do, with at least one reading skill explicitly taught.
Weekly fluency	Every Monday lesson includes reading and fluency practice.
Oracy	Pupils verbally read during every lesson and discuss, explain or justify their understanding.
Curriculum links	Texts connect to current topics to reinforce knowledge and provide opportunities for overlearning.
English links	Teachers may align reading texts with the genre or intended outcome of English writing lessons.
Bespoke texts	Teachers can create curriculum-specific texts pitched around the class’s average AR level where appropriate.
Assessment	Star Reading assessments take place every big term and inform reading age, intervention, teaching targets and book-level selection.
Responsive teaching	Assessment information, observations and pupils’ demonstrated understanding inform adaptations and next steps.