Children reading right way

A SCHOOL in Henley has been congratulated by the schools minister for being in the top three per cent for phonics skills.

Tim Coulson, headteacher of Valley Road primary, received a letter from Damien Hinds, lauding the school’s “outstanding achievement” during the 2023 phonics screening test.

Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing as children learn the relationship between the sounds of the spoken language and the letters or groups of letters of the written language.

During the screening, which tested pupils’ grasp of reading, 97 per cent of in year one children met the expected standard.

Mr Hinds said: “We want to ensure every child develops a firm grasp of phonics as the basics on which to improve the standards of reading. As such, I was delighted to see your results.

“The latest figures show that 83 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading at key stage 2 in 2023, which underlines the importance of developing the ability to decode words effectively at an early age.

“Your particular success in teaching phonics so effectively means that your pupils are developing a firm foundation from which they can become increasingly fluent and develop a lifelong love of reading.

“I would like to say thank you for your commitment and success in this vital area of a child’s early education and I congratulate you, your staff and your pupils on all you have achieved.”