At The Mill Academy, literacy and reading are at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that reading is the key to becoming a successful writer, and we are committed to nurturing a love of reading in every child. Alongside our Early Reading Approach (Phonics) and our LIRA Reading Approach (Literal, Inferential, Reader Response, Author Intent), we aim to inspire pupils to read not only for learning, but also for pleasure.

All literacy lessons follow the Accelerated Learning Cycle, which breaks learning into manageable steps. This ensures pupils are highly engaged, appropriately challenged, and fully supported, enabling them to make rapid and sustained progress. Wherever possible, literacy is linked to class themes or topics, often beginning with an exciting hook to capture pupils’ imagination and enthusiasm.

For the teaching of phonics, we use the highly regarded Read Write Inc. scheme, which provides children with the essential foundations for early reading and writing success.

Please refer to the following documents for information linked to our approaches for reading, spelling and handwriting:

https://themillacademy.org.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Early-reading.pdf

https://themillacademy.org.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Reading.pdf

https://themillacademy.org.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Spelling-and-Handwriting.pdf