Number 1 item on my list of 'Ten Things That Successful Phonics Schools Do' is:

1. They have a Literacy leader/champion

Some schools call this role the 'Phonics Lead' but I like to use the term 'Literacy' because for me, phonics = basic literacy knowledge and skills. It's the foundations that, well, everything else, is built upon. 

Appointing a designated leader is not only a sensible and practical measure but it also demonstrates that phonics is being recognised as important in your school. 

What does the Literacy leader do?

• Develops, annually reviews and updates school policies relating to phonics, spelling, handwriting and reading 
• Annually audits resources 
• Annually audits staff training and support needs 
• Liaise with external consultant/training provider to plan and implement support 
• Recommends training opportunities including events, books and websites 
• Monitors consistent and effective use of displays 
• Motivates and inspires staff, children and parents 
• Collates and interprets assessment and tracking data 
• Ensures staff are assessing, tracking and monitoring children's progress at least every half term 
• Asks staff to describe their children's progress and identify barriers 
• Offer troubleshooting advice to staff 
• Keep up-to-date with industry information, latest research, publications and events 
• Team teaches, coaches and models lessons 
• Organises or supports staff with events such as parent workshops 
• Liaises with the English leader on overlap areas such as Reading for Pleasure 

It's a hot debate in phonics... should you vertically group children according to their ability irrelevant of their age? Or should you keep them in mixed ability, same age classes? 

Here are my thoughts... 

Vertical grouping:

• Enables the lesson content to be pitched more accurately towards the ability of the group 
• Less need for differentiated activities reduces teacher workload
• Enables children that are 'ahead' to develop and not be held back by their age
• Enable children that are 'behind' to be taught content that meets their needs 
• Proven to work effectively through successful phonics programme Read, Write, Inc.
• Ensures that phonics is prioritised because additional staff commitment needed to run groups every day

Whole class teaching:

• Less time wasted with children lining up and waiting in corridors to move classrooms for grouping (very rarely have I seen this transition done efficiently) 
• Class teacher retains deeper insight into every child's ability and progress
• Better application of phonics learning to wider curriculum e.g. class teacher knows what phonics lesson was so can help children apply this in English writing lesson 
• Children that are weaker are still exposed to more advanced phonics teaching - no glass ceilings 
• Teachers require stronger and secure subject knowledge to support range of abilities - they take responsibility and ownership 
• Logistics don't fall apart if there are staff absences or changes to timetable (this is very common) 
• Less self-esteem issues of children being grouped with those in lower years 

Many schools report that they have tried to adopt vertical grouping but have now moved back to whole class teaching.

'My preference is whole class teaching for all the reasons listed above.' 

Schools tell me that their results have been consistent irrelevant of whether they've vertically grouped or kept whole class. So, there seems to be a move towards whole class teaching which makes me happy - better application of skills, teachers with more responsibility and ownership, less logistical problems. However, vertical grouping can work effectively WHEN and BECAUSE phonics is made a priority and that is an important key message. 

If you are a school with two or three form entry (more than one class per year group) it might make sense for you to horizontally group children for phonics within the year group. I work with schools who review the children in the year group as a whole, then split them into three or four ability groups - two groups staffed by class teachers and the other group/s staffed by teaching assistants. 

A final note on grouping children for phonics...
However you organise your phonics remember that groups should be 'fluid'. Children make progress so quickly in phonics, and progress at different rates from one another. You should certainly review the groupings each half term but also be prepared to move children between groups mid-term if it will benefit them. 

How does your school group for phonics? Let me know in the comments :-) 

I often set teachers homework to come and watch this video.

'Learning from others is so useful.' 

In many ways it's exactly what my job is - I spend lots of my working time visiting schools and sharing information about what others are doing that is or isn't working. This video is the lovely Sam Bailey talking at the Reading Reform Foundation Conference in 2015. She explains how she transformed outcomes for children in her first headship at a school requiring improvement and how, in just two terms at her next school (ranked 32nd worst in England on previous results) children's outcomes got on track for equally good, if not better, improvement. She is sure that Synthetic Phonics teaching has played a key part in this.

​Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments :-)