Rocket Phonics First Steps Case Study: Wellspring Academy Trust

Wellspring Academy Trust describes itself as a community of communities. It believes that schools are the best judge of what their children and families need to thrive: instead of a top-down approach, it encourages schools to collaborate and work together to achieve the best outcomes for students.

We spoke to staff at two primary schools in the Trust which have opted into using Rocket Phonics First Steps in their nursery (F1) provision:

• Jane, a Nursery Teacher at Ebor Gardens Primary School
• Katie, Acting Executive Principal, and Jen, a Nursery Class Teacher, at The Forest Academy

Both schools serve diverse communities with high or rising numbers of EAL families. Their catchments are in areas of economic deprivation, with over 40% of primary children eligible for free school meals. In both settings, a high proportion of children have very low starting points in terms of communication and early social skills. 

Why did the schools decide to adopt Rocket Phonics First Steps?

The schools wanted to boost their literacy and language provision, so that even children with very low starting points would be ready for Reception. As Katie explained: “we have to do a lot to get our children to where they need to be with literacy, speaking and listening, and really immersing them in that language-rich environment from the moment they step through the door, with books being at the heart of that as well.”

They also needed a programme that is inclusive, and accessible for children with a wide range of abilities and needs. They were looking for a programme that was flexible, and could be used with all their children.  

Training and support was important, too. Jane admitted: “We were a little bit lost, I'll have to admit. It was generally ‘satpin’ which we repeated over and over.”  

The Forest Academy’s Nursery provision is over-subscribed, so it was important to maintain and build on their reputation in the local community.

The decision to adopt First Steps was made independently, by each of the schools. Although Jane hadn’t been involved in choosing to adopt the programme, she was fully behind the decision saying, “it’s been a really good tool for our setting”.

Training and onboarding

Schools adopting First Steps have access to a range of training options. The programme’s author, Abigail Steel, has created a YouTube channel with short, practical training videos. Additional online training is available, and schools can also opt into ongoing support through a Facebook page, and personalised email support.

Jane relied on the videos and the in-scheme teacher support to familiarise herself with the components, and how to use them. “I just used the little videos because they're not too long, they're just a nice length, actually.”

Katie attended an in-person training session which gave a deeper insight into the programme, and the school also participated in ‘drop-in’ sessions for answers to specific questions. “…you always felt that there was support available and that you had the opportunity just to ask those questions that crop up.”

This, alongside the in-scheme teacher guidance, gave staff the confidence that they needed to implement the scheme in the best way for their settings. “…the actual materials, the resources, there's weekly plans, it's all there. You can just go through everything and it's just seamless,” explains Jane.

How did they use the programme?

To ensure that children have the maximum exposure to phonics learning, both settings start using the programme from September. In Ebor Gardens, where children join through the year, the constant reinforcement and predictable session structure means that children are able to join in and take part even if they have missed some of the earlier units. “…wherever their starting point is, they can hop on board with the materials. Pretty much all of the children have English is a second language. Some have a better grasp of the English language than others. Some come with no English language at all. So it's such a good way to get them introduced to the English language with the flashcards and the pictures.”

Jen, likewise, starts from September as soon as the children have settled in. Initially, sessions are short, but as children’s stamina grows, they’re able to make the sessions a bit longer.

Practitioners in both schools run the sessions twice daily to ensure that regardless of whether children do a morning or an afternoon session, they get their phonics ‘fix’. The resources are then available through their ‘continuous provision’, with one of the schools setting up a phonics station with role play activities linked to the sound of the week.

Both schools follow the weekly and daily plans closely, using all the resources. This predictability and structure benefits staff and children, with everyone knowing what to expect every day. “Today's day three, which is day two on our book. The children know where we're at as well,” says Jen.

While the programme is based on a clear and predictable structure, practitioners are able to adapt the learning and the resources for a range of abilities and stages of development. “…there're obviously children that are further on in the development that are much more engaged. However, because it is so adaptable, you can also include those at a lower level. So there is engagement from all children, just at different stages,” Jen explains.

Books are at the heart of First Steps, and schools are encouraged to read with the children every day. Here, Jane describes their Friday whole class guided reading session. “…we all sit on the carpet, and they all have their own book. They're learning to look at the front cover, open the book, turn the pages, and point to different parts of the story. I also have the story on the (interactive white) board and we listen to the story and then we will do some oral blending, with the sounds we have learned. They're really good at whole class guided reading.”

Outcomes

Practitioners at both schools believe that adopting First Steps has benefitted their children across a range of learning outcomes.

First Steps is accessible and inclusive for all children. Those with SEND are able to take part in the daily phonics session, as described here by Jane: “I've got children that have got SEND needs and are non verbal. They will go and get the cards out of the drawer because they love the cards, they love looking at the pictures. Even if they're not able to give you a lot back, they're still on board and listening and looking, which is quite a big thing for some children that struggle to even just sit down on the carpet.” This was echoed by Jen, who described the programme as, “really adaptable, really flexible and you can tailor it to your children.”

All children are developing the skills they will need to flourish and achieve. “It gives them a really good foundation,” says Jane. “They go in (to Reception) knowing a lot of the sounds. The fine motor skills have developed nicely. They understand what they're meant to do ….”

The programme is ambitious, and some children are making exceptional progress. “Observing 3-year-olds reading CVC words is phenomenal. I still remember the first child that read a CVC word and I was blown away.” [Jen]

Children love participating, using the resources and acquiring new skills, which in turn, has boosted their confidence. “It's given them a real joy of learning, they feel smart, they feel clever. When they're able to tell me what a picture is, what this thing is, they'll shout it out, it just gives them a confidence boost as well.” [Jane] This means that children are more resilient learners too.  “…because their confidence is higher, they're more willing to have a go.” [Jen]

For practitioners, the on-demand videos, easy-to-use resources and clear structure have given clarity and focus to their planning and delivery. “I know exactly what I'm doing each day,” says Jane.

Overall, staff reported that they observed a marked contrast between children whose preschool setting uses First Steps, compared with those which did not use the programme. “… based on observation and staff feedback, we could see a real and distinct difference between the pupils who've had that experience in nursery, that opportunity, compared to children who hadn't.” [Katie]

Final thoughts

Adopting First Steps has added rigour and structure to both settings’ phonics and language provision. This hasn’t been at the expense of a child-centred, play-based approach which is based on the principles of early years provision.

…we were really keen to have a programme that doesn't feel like it's moving away from what nursery is all about, that exploration and play and enjoyment and children having fun…. [First Steps] has allowed us to still have that flexibility and adapt it to the needs of our children without moving away from what we want our nursery provision to be. [Katie]

Practitioners at both preschool settings believe that adopting First Steps has transformed their phonics provision and are firm advocates of the programme. “…it's been absolutely fantastic. The children have just embraced absolutely everything about this scheme. All I've got is positives…” [Jane]

First Steps Rocket Phonics “isn’t rocket science. It’s all there and it just makes a lot of sense.”