WHAT IS FIRST CLASS PHONICS?

What is First Class Phonics?

• First Class Phonics is an innovative, new scheme that provides exactly what both Head Teachers and teachers want: a cost-effective, easy-to-follow programme proven to help children reach the ELGs (Reading/Writing), to increase attainment in reading and spelling in KS1 and to improve results in the Year One Phonics Screening Check.
• Teachers and Teaching Assistants can use First Class Phonics to teach whole classes and groups with a range of easy-to-use PowerPoints.
• Every day, children practise reading or spelling through fun, familiar games using sets of Pupil Cards. These provide a unique opportunity for children to work independently to consolidate new learning whilst also developing speaking and listening skills plus life skills like turn-taking, collaboration, problem solving.
• PowerPoints have a wide range of captions so that children immediately apply their learning into reading and writing sentences.
• During Covid-19, First Class Phonics has been highly successful in supporting teachers to deliver online or recorded lessons using fun and exciting new resources which engage and motivate home learners.

Watch this video to hear Louise Gledhill, English Subject Lead at Gorse Hall Primary School, talking about how First Class Phonics works in her school.

How does First Class Phonics help your children meet age-related expectations?

• First Class Phonics provides comprehensive and easy-to-follow weekly plans, giving teachers a simple but systematic structure for teaching phonics across the week. We slow down the pace of teaching but increase the pace of learning to ensure that children progress from simple to more complex phonic knowledge and skills. Teachers love the simplicity of the weekly structure and the easy-to-follow planning that provides a clearly defined, incremental sequence.
• We provide simple ‘Signposts’, ‘catch-phrases’ and daily routines to develop the pace of the lessons and to improve consistency of approach across classes. Children love the familiarity of the daily routines as they know what is coming next within the lesson and are truly engaged in their learning.
• Teachers have access to an initial training course, ongoing CPD, detailed ‘How to Teach…’ guidance documents, and ‘Prompt Cards’ for quick reminders during teaching.
• First Class Phonics is fit for purpose for learning: a scheme that will not only engage children in their own learning but will have a structured route for most children to meet or exceed the expectations for reading and writing in EYFS and KS1. Our expectations for learning are high – but realistic.
• Teaching records and tracking grids are provided to enable schools to set clear expectations, support communication, monitor progress and identify children who are falling behind. First Class Phonics builds in daily opportunities to assess children’s progress and revisit prior learning.
• First Class Phonics also has fully-resourced ‘Assessment and Revisit’ weeks which enable teachers to conduct frequent and ongoing assessment to track and record children’s progress and to identify those children at, below or above expected levels.
• Progress Checks are provided to enable teachers/teaching assistants to do detailed one-to-one assessments. These diagnostic tools will support teachers to identify specific learning needs and plan next steps for regular lessons, ‘Keep Up’ sessions or ‘Catch Up’ intervention.
• First Class Phonics provides guidance on how to deliver effective, regular ‘Keep Up’ sessions for those children who just need that little bit of extra focused teaching time to keep up with their peers. Teachers use ongoing assessment in lessons to identify children and their specific learning needs e.g. recognition of GPCs, blending. Sessions are short, very focused and fun. Groups are flexible as children are selected based on learning needs. In this way, teachers are able to intervene quickly to stop children falling behind.
• In addition, we give support on using First Class Phonics planning and resources for children who have already fallen behind (including the lowest 20%) and who need ‘Catch-Up’ or Intervention. First Class Phonics ‘Catch-up’ works well for children in EYFS, KS1 and also children in Y3 and Y4 who have fallen behind.