At Brierley Hill Primary School, we believe that reading is the gateway to learning. It is the foundation upon which all other learning is built, shaping children into confident, articulate, and curious learners who can engage deeply with the world.
Our reading curriculum is designed around the CUSP (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) framework, an evidence-informed model that ensures all pupils develop:
📖 Fluency and Prosodic Reading – The ability to read accurately, at an appropriate speed, with phrasing and expression.
📖 Explicit Vocabulary Knowledge – Systematic instruction in rich and sophisticated language.
📖 Comprehension and Critical Thinking – The ability to infer, summarise, analyse authorial intent, and make connections across texts and themes.
📖 A Love of Literature – A deep, meaningful relationship with books that fosters lifelong reading habits.
Our ambition is that every child leaves Brierley Hill as a confident, fluent reader, able to access the breadth of the curriculum, secondary school, and the wider world.
The CUSP Reading Curriculum is a highly sequenced, evidence-based approach that ensures reading is explicitly taught, practised, and embedded at every stage of a child’s education.
✅ A Core Literature Spine – High-quality texts, carefully sequenced to expose children to a diverse range of authors, themes, and styles.
✅ A Thematically Mapped Curriculum – Texts are selected to complement wider curriculum subjects, enriching learning in history, geography, science, and PSHE.
✅ Systematic Vocabulary Instruction – Every reading lesson explicitly teaches vocabulary, closing the word gap and enabling children to express complex ideas with precision.
✅ Prosodic Reading Strategies – Explicit fluency practice ensures that children develop confident, expressive reading skills.
✅ Deep Comprehension Strategies – Pupils engage in high-quality discussion and structured questioning to develop deep and sophisticated reading skills.
At Brierley Hill, we have adopted the CUSP Core Literature Spine, ensuring all children experience:
📚 Heritage Texts – Timeless classics that develop cultural literacy and an appreciation for rich, complex language.
📚 Contemporary Literature – Books that reflect the modern world, including diverse authors and protagonists.
📚 Books with Moral, Ethical, and Social Themes – Texts that encourage discussion around key societal issues such as equality, resilience, environmental responsibility, and social justice.
📚 Non-Fiction and Poetry – High-quality non-fiction and poetry are embedded throughout the curriculum, broadening pupils' knowledge and exposure to different genres.
Our thematic mapping ensures that texts are meaningfully connected across the curriculum, allowing children to build schema and deepen their understanding over time.
Our reading lessons follow a highly structured, research-led model, ensuring all children have access to high-quality reading instruction.
1️⃣ Connect – Activating prior knowledge to anchor new learning.
2️⃣ Explain – Explicit vocabulary instruction, ensuring children understand and can use sophisticated language.
3️⃣ Example – Teacher modelling of high-quality reading and comprehension skills.
4️⃣ Attempt – Guided practice, with scaffolding gradually removed.
5️⃣ Apply – Independent practice to reinforce learning and secure fluency.
6️⃣ Challenge – Higher-order thinking, including exploring themes, authorial intent, and literary styles
All reading lessons explicitly develop fluency through:
✔ Echo Reading – Modelling and repeating passages to improve phrasing and expression.
✔ Paired Reading – Partnered reading to build confidence and accuracy.
✔ Performance Reading – Encouraging pupils to read with expression and characterisation.
✔ Repeated Reading – Revisiting passages to improve pace and accuracy
Our EYFS reading curriculum is structured to provide the best possible start in reading.
📖 Structured Storytime – Carefully selected texts that build foundational knowledge, develop vocabulary, and foster a love of books.
🎭 Fluency, Oracy, and Drama – Children engage in storytelling through performance, role play, and structured discussions.
📝 Thinking Hard Questions – High-quality questioning ensures children engage deeply with texts, building inference and comprehension skills
By embedding rich, meaningful reading experiences in the early years, we lay the groundwork for success in phonics, early writing, and beyond.
Our reading spine is carefully mapped to ensure deep connections between texts and curriculum subjects.
🔬 Science Links – Texts such as Pig Heart Boy (Year 6) complement learning on the circulatory system.
📜 History Links – All Aboard the Empire Windrush (Year 6) provides a rich narrative link to the study of migration and British history.
🌍 Geography Links – Shackleton’s Journey (Year 5) brings the exploration of Antarctica to life.
🎭 Cultural and Literary Heritage – An Introduction to Dickens (Year 6) ensures children develop foundational knowledge of classic British literature
This coherent and interwoven approach ensures that reading is not a standalone skill but an integral part of every child’s educational journey.
At Brierley Hill, we foster a rich, immersive reading environment that goes beyond structured lessons:
📚 Daily Storytime – Every class engages in daily shared reading to foster a love for books.
📖 Library and Home Reading – We provide a diverse and engaging selection of books, ensuring children have access to high-quality reading at home and school.
🎤 Oracy and Debate – Opportunities for public speaking, debate, and discussion build confident, articulate learners.
🏆 Reading Celebrations – Author visits, reading competitions, and book fairs reinforce the joy of reading.
Every child, regardless of background or ability, deserves to become a confident and fluent reader. We use adaptive teaching strategies to ensure:
🔹 Targeted Interventions – Structured, evidence-based reading support for pupils who need additional practice.
🔹 Adaptive Resources – Scaffolding, enlarged text, and alternative reading strategies to meet diverse needs.
🔹 Diverse and Representative Texts – Ensuring all children see themselves reflected in the literature they read
Our inclusive approach ensures that reading is accessible, meaningful, and transformative for all pupils.
By the time pupils leave Brierley Hill Primary, they are:
🎓 Academically prepared – Equipped with the reading skills needed for success in secondary school and beyond.
📖 Fluent and confident readers – Able to access a broad and challenging range of texts.
🗣 Articulate communicators – Confident in discussion, debate, and independent thought.
🌍 Culturally and socially aware – Knowledgeable about literature, history, and the world around them.
🚀 Ready for the future – Empowered with the reading skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
For more details, including:
📌 CUSP Knowledge Documents
📌 Curriculum Overviews
📌 Home Reading Guidance
Please contact our Curriculum Lead, Tom Amphlett, at info@brierleyhill.dudley.sch.uk.