Am I right in thinking a school should have a phonics based reading scheme?

[Namechangenurseryconcerns]

Parents evening last night-ds (reception) doing well. Can blend cvc and read simple sentences. Tentatively asked when we might get a reading book alongside/rather than phonics worksheets /'picture cards' to discuss and was told that they don't really have books that can be phonetically decoded.
They have banded books-dreaded ORT, ginn etc but these aren't decodable to those in the first phases of phonics.
This is poor right? We have the songbirds books at home and will continue reading these ( teacher was happy with this) but what about the rest of the children?
Could someone in the know link me some requirements so I can make a polite fuss /help them with funding if necessary?

Saying that though why have they left it so log to start phonics miaow? We have nearly finished phase 2 here.

It hasn't been 'all at once'. Schools knew this was coming years ago and were given matched funding in readiness two years running - well before the new curriculum started in Sept 2014.

Let's not forget they might not have a statutory duty to follow the national curriculum...academies, free schools and private don't have to do so.

That aside it's pretty piss poor if they truly don't follow any schematic phonics programme. Yes, able kids with engaged parents will likely be fine but what about the less able? The dyslexics? Those whose parents spend all their time on MN not me ahem

Let's not forget they might not have a statutory duty to follow the national curriculum...academies, free schools and private don't have to do so.

However, academies do have to take part in the Year 1 Phonics Screening and KS1 SATs, so they would be foolish not to follow the phonics objectives.

Schools have had ten years to build up a bank of phonic reading books ...there is absolutely no excuse.

Ten years and matched funding which essentially gave them a half price discount.

I often wonder what those schools that haven't found the money over the last 10 years think is more important than reading and being able to read.

'It costs thousands to buy new reading schemes etc'

Bollocks - you can get 36 ORT Songbirds books for £17 from the book people. That's 6 at each level, so you could get loads for £150.

I think DS's old school had got half their book stock from TBP Mrscog They ran rather short around level 7 when songbirds ran out, we had weeks of only getting Traditional Tales (also on TBP at the time).

By stage 6 of Songbirds all the sounds and common alternatives have been covered so children should be capable of reading any book.

By the time school let DS have stage 6 he was reading chapter books at home anyway . We did try to get him to read the school books too though. DD learned to read completely from songbirds at home, they're lovely little books.

They aren't the most comprehensive phonics reading scheme but the stories appeal and they are decidedly better than Biff et all for beginner readers

Yeah, I've been pleased with them - I bought them as we have exactly the same problem. DS has just started reception, he knows loads of sounds and can blend simple words and I got fed up with ORT books which were for look and say. I don't mind so much books with some words which are decodeable as I read the ones which he can't do yet and then I read the others, but one of the books just had 'Do you like ice cream?' and then 'I do' on every single page. It was pointless and so hard to do with a child who is learning phonetically.

I can see though that 6 books at each level might not give quite enough range, but at least if schools had a set of songbirds with would at least improve the selection.

Floppy's Phonics are v good also.

I bought these for reading at home. So far we are on level 1 but my son quite likes them as he is already familiar with lots of the stories.

Don't look to be decodable.

Definitely look and say. Not saying not to use them if you and your ds are happy, but they're not what the OP is looking for and not a recommendation reading scheme.

*recommended

We have Songbirds, floppy phonics and Jelly and Bean. 'This new here phonics nonsense' isn't remotely new nor is it at all nonsense. And by all means use a variety of approaches to extend higher order reading skills from Y3 onwards but an SP approach is the only logical approach to take in the EYFS and KS1. I find it astonishing that some schools, and teachers, are still resistant to this.

I thought all schools were helped with funding to replace antique reading books. We have ORT and my 4 yr old can decode them. Our school replaced all reading books within last couple of years. It's a bog standard outstanding large state school. Not funds by PTA

They were helped. Evidently some schools chose not to use it. Why? Lack of priorities. Lack of current research. No motivation to research because,of a belief that 's.e children will always struggle'. Lack of training. Lack of motivation to organise training because of aforementioned beliefs. An acceptance of 80%+ being high - so high enough to escape scrutiny. A willingness to accept even one child being unable to read and to see that as acceptable.

• some children will always struggle

But what good is conplaining if they can't afford it? Schools funding is being cut despite what lies the Tories tell you.
This will get worse because of Brexit.
Is it a statutory requirement to have certain books?

It really isn't an excuse to break the law ...I wonder how you'd get on if you said you couldn't afford your road tax so didn't bother.

It's a statutory requirement to provide books consistent with the child's phonic knowledge and skills

But they can afford it - £100 buys 6 sets of songbirds books. If they'd used the matched funding the cost would only have been £50.

Show me a school which couldn't find £50 to support reading.