At Marner, reading is at the heart of our curriculum and is recognised as a key skill that underpins learning, communication, and lifelong success. 

In the early stages of reading development, children learn to read through the THEP phonics programme, supported by carefully matched decodable books. Daily reading sessions are an essential part of the routine, helping children to build confidence, accuracy, and enjoyment in reading. Storytelling plays a key role in early reading development, with children using story maps to retell familiar texts and practise language specific to the stories they have read, supporting both comprehension and oracy skills.

Daily reading sessions across the school are carefully structured and focus on developing fluency skills through extended reads and close reading. These lessons give children regular opportunities to practise reading with accuracy, expression, and understanding, while also developing deeper comprehension of texts. Core books are thoughtfully planned and mapped across the year, with a strong focus on inclusivity and real-life issues, ensuring that children are exposed to a wide range of voices, experiences and perspectives.

Reading for pleasure is strongly promoted at Marner through a variety of engaging initiatives. Children are encouraged to explore diverse books through our well-stocked library and welcoming class reading corners. We foster a love of reading through activities such as the Marner Reading Challenge, where children create reading river posters to celebrate the books they have read, alongside fun competitions and events like “Whacky Read,” which inspires children to enjoy reading in imaginative and unusual places.

We follow the Tower Hamlets Education Partnership Phonics Programme: THE Partnership Phonics Programme.