Reading at Lostwithiel School

At Lostwithiel Primary School, our intent is to foster a lifelong love of reading in every child. We believe that reading is the gateway to learning, imagination, and opportunity. Our reading curriculum is designed to develop fluent, enthusiastic, and confident readers who can access the full breadth of the curriculum and the wider world beyond school.

We aim to:

• Instil a love of reading by exposing children to a broad, inclusive, and engaging range of high-quality literature—from classic to contemporary texts, local authors to global voices.
• Ensure early reading success through systematic and rigorous phonics teaching, enabling every child to decode with confidence and accuracy.
• Promote language development and comprehension by immersing children in vocabulary-rich texts and encouraging meaningful discussion, inference, and critical thinking.
• Celebrate reading for pleasure by creating a reading culture throughout the school—with regular story times, author visits, reading corners, and community events that link learning to Lostwithiel’s heritage and wider Cornwall.
• Narrow the attainment gap by identifying and supporting children who need additional help, ensuring every child becomes a reader, regardless of background or starting point.

Our reading curriculum reflects our belief that reading empowers children to become independent learners, thoughtful individuals, and active participants in their community. We want every child to leave Lostwithiel Primary not only with the skills to read fluently and comprehend deeply but also with a love of books that will stay with them for life.