Early Reading and Phonics at The Regent School
At The Regent School, we believe that reading is the foundation of all learning.
Our early reading provision is structured, systematic and language-rich, ensuring that every child develops the skills, confidence, and love of reading needed for lifelong success.
Phonics in Early Years and Key Stage One
We deliver daily phonics sessions using the clearly sequenced Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. This systematic synthetic phonics approach enables children to develop secure grapheme–phoneme correspondence, accurate blending skills for reading, confident segmenting skills for spelling, and increasing fluency.
Phonics lessons are fast-paced, engaging and carefully structured. Children are regularly
assessed and grouped according to their stage of development to ensure precise, responsive
teaching. Reading practice sessions are closely aligned with phonics progression, and children read fully decodable books matched to the sounds they have been taught, ensuring success and measurable progress.
Early Years Reading Provision
Our Early Years provision places strong emphasis on language development. In addition to daily phonics, we prioritise daily story time to develop comprehension and listening skills, explicit teaching of ambitious vocabulary, guided reading sessions focused on decoding, fluency and understanding, and a print-rich environment with clearly labelled areas and accessible books. Children are also given regular opportunities for oral storytelling and retelling to strengthen communication skills and narrative understanding.
Reading Spine and Core Text Approach
Our English curriculum is underpinned by a carefully sequenced whole-school reading spine.
This ensures that all pupils experience a rich and diverse range of high-quality literature as they progress through the school.
We use a core text approach in Early Years and across the primary phase. Each half term is built around carefully selected anchor texts that link to our wider curriculum themes and reflect our core values. These texts expose children to rich vocabulary, diverse characters and a range of fiction and non-fiction genres.
The chosen texts drive learning across the curriculum. Writing outcomes are modelled on the structure, language features and themes of the texts studied, enabling pupils to develop as confident, purposeful writers. Within our long-term curriculum framework, teachers have professional autonomy to select additional high-quality literature that enhances themes and deepens learning, ensuring both coherence and creativity.
Through this structured and literature-rich approach, we aim not only to teach children how to read but to inspire a lifelong love of reading.
Contact us
No.1 Euphrates Crescent, Maitama, Abuja
+2347037793322
+2347055651431
We are the only British school overseas(BSO) in Nigeria rated outstanding —the highest possible grade in the UK Ofsted British Schools Overseas (BSO) Standards, as adjudged by PENTA.
View the full BSO report here.
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