Reading
Reading at Tavistock Primary and Nursery School
We are readers who inspire readers — building a lifelong love of books.
As readers who teach reading, we, at Tavistock Primary and Nursery School, believe that reading opens every door — to imagination, curiosity, and lifelong learning. From our very youngest learners, we build strong foundations in phonics and early reading, ensuring every child develops the skills and confidence they need to become fluent, engaged readers.
Reading is at the heart of everything we do. Across all subjects and topics, we weave in rich, meaningful texts that inspire curiosity and deepen understanding — from science investigations to historical adventures and finding out fantastic facts. Our cross-curricular approach helps children see that reading isn’t just a skill, it’s a way to explore the world.
Every class enjoys being read to every day — a treasured time where stories bring us together, characters come alive, and imaginations soar. Alongside our structured daily phonics and reading sessions, children also enjoy book browsing time, choosing and sharing books that capture their interests and passions.
During our AIR Sessions our Summer termY2 -Y6 children can reflect, respond, and connect deeply with the texts they love — through writing, sketching, and sharing ideas in their journals. They show the real joy of reading: thinking, feeling, and discovering more about the world itself and the world of books all around us.
Our goal is simple — to nurture lifelong readers who read for pleasure, for purpose, and to grow.
At Tavistock Primary and Nursery School, we know that strong foundations in phonics are the key to becoming a confident, independent reader. We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme — a Department for Education–approved Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) scheme — to ensure that every child builds secure knowledge of the letter–sound correspondences that underpin fluent reading and writing.
Our phonics teaching is daily, structured and rigorous, delivered by highly trained staff who understand the importance of both consistency and precision. Children are regularly assessed to make sure their learning keeps pace and that any gaps are identified and addressed quickly through targeted support.
But we believe that reading is about more than decoding words — it’s about finding joy, meaning and purpose in what we read. Alongside the skill of reading, our teachers nurture the will to read: developing curiosity, imagination and a lifelong love of books.
Our Books for Life journey brings children together through unforgettable stories, powerful poetry and fascinating non-fiction — books to love, learn from, and remember forever.
Our Books for Life programme celebrates the power of high-quality texts to shape hearts and minds. Carefully chosen to ensure diversity and sequenced across the school, these are the books every child at Tavistock Primary and Nursery School will experience during their time with us — the ones that make you laugh, think, wonder, and sometimes even cry. They are the stories that stay with you for life.
Through Books for Life, we make sure every child encounters a wide range of texts — from rich poetry learnt and performed by heart, to high-quality non-fiction that expands their knowledge of the world. The collection also includes more challenging texts that stretch readers’ vocabulary, ideas and empathy, inspired by Doug Lemov’s principles of exposing children to complex, diverse and thought-provoking writing.
Each title has been chosen to spark curiosity, build resilience as a reader, and create shared reading experiences that bring our school community together. These are the books we love, the books we talk about, and the books that help our children become confident, reflective readers for life.