Dear Parents,

This is to update you about the reading intervention we were planning to introduce this week.

As you are probably aware, one of the areas highlighted for improvement by OFSTED during the inspection was reading, and the teaching of phonics-based interventions. As a school, we have invested in a program to address this, which does entail children being taught in stage-appropriate groups. Not all children would need the intervention but it does mean that there would be children forming a group with other classes within their year group. The decision to move children around within their year group was based on government guidance,

‘…..schools may keep children in their class groups for the majority of the classroom time, but also allow mixing into wider groups for specialist teaching, wraparound care and transport, or for boarding pupils in one group residentially and another during the school day. Siblings may also be in different groups.’ 

However, due to parental concern we did contact the local authority for further advice. This is still the government guidance, but as a school we have decided that we will postpone the introduction of the program as we don’t wish to add to the concerns and stress parents are undergoing at this time.