Our aim is for all pupils to reach our milestones outlined in the Freemantle Reading Milestones document below.

Vocabulary - Through our focus on the explicit teaching of vocabulary, KS2 pupils at Freemantle are exposed to a huge variety of new language, more so than ever before. This language is taught purposefully, with words chosen that pupils can use across the curriculum. See below for examples of our Key Stage 2 pupils' written exploration of vocabulary in our daily 10-minute vocabulary lesson as part of reading. 

A Year 3 pupil explores new vocabulary linked to their whole-class text. 

A Year 6 pupil explores a range of new vocabulary linked to their text and the wider curriculum.

Love of Reading - We have invested heavily in our library, revamping our Fully Decodable Phonics selection, our non-fiction and our fiction section to incorporate the most recent books our pupils enjoy, not to mention our online Freemantle library (https://freemantleschool.wheelers.co/account/logon?returnUrl=%2fadmin)

Our pupils tell us they love reading, and value what it offers beyond the obvious. Some pupil quotes from our latest Pupil Voice survey taken during Spring 2023:

"I enjoy storytime as it gives me time to relax and it gives me time to freely enjoy the books we read together."

"We read at the end of the day and it's really fun and enjoyable. Our teacher is reading us a book called The Epic Book of Epicness and I really enjoy it because I love learning new facts."

"I love reading and I think it is important to read in school because this gives pupils some time to relax and read something calming. It's good for our mental health."

"I think reading is important because it spreads your imagination and opinions out, and also helps have a positive mindset instead of always using technology. Furthermore,if you want to be successful reading is extremely important, not only do you get the ability to read but also learn a range of helpful vocabulary that can extend our writing."

"In my opinion I think reading is important because it enhances your mind and unleashes part of your brain that hasn't been unlocked by the key which is knowledge that opens the mind to a different world."

Reading Fluency - We prioritise reading fluency at Freemantle and once pupils have the basics of decoding, read purposefully to develop that fluency all the way through school. Our reading lessons are designed to give every Freemantle pupil the opportunity to listen to a teacher read but also provide regular opportunities to practise developing their own fluency, whether through echo reads, choral reads, paired reading or drama activities. Our pupils, especially our early readers, spend more time than ever reading aloud developing their fluency.

Reading Comprehension - Being able to decode is important, but comprehension is where reading comes to life. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and Key Stage 2 classes have hour-long reading lessons everyday which incorporate shared reading, vocabulary instruction and explicit reading comprehension instruction. Our pupils have time to discuss and explore books in great detail, analysing and responding to the wonderful texts on our Freemantle Reading Spine; we are proud of the enthusiasm our pupil show and the joy they get from reading texts together at Freemantle. Have a look at some of that written exploration in our reading journals below. 

A Year 3 child supported to make inferences using vocabulary taught during explicit vocabulary lesson.

A pupil in Year 4 building on previous years' learning, more independently able to analyse the reasons behind their book's chapter title, demonstrating their understanding of what they have read in a larger section of the text. 

A Year 5 pupil justifying inferences and building on skills taught in Year 4, whilst drawing on their vocabulary lessons, to offer deeper analysis of their texts. 

A Year 6 pupil drawing on their confident inference skills to determine how authors use language for specific impact, combining that with knowledge learned through philosophical discussion around the wider themes of their book.