Peacehaven Heights Academy, part of STEP Academy Trust, is opening its doors to parents for an exciting glimpse into how teaching and learning is delivered, beginning with a series of phonics mornings for parents of pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2. 

The first sessions held throughout March and April were a great success, giving parents of pupils the opportunity to observe first-hand how their child learns phonics, the key to reading, through the linguistic phonics programme Sounds Write.  

Visiting parents received a talk about Sounds Write, which is based on and structured around the sounds of speech. The learning journey develops pupils’ conceptual understanding to complex knowledge, with pupils gradually learning 175 ways of spelling the 44 sounds through a multi-sensory approach which includes saying, seeing, hearing and writing the sounds. 

After receiving an overview of Peacehaven Heights Academy’s whole-school approach to phonics, parents were then able to observe their child’s phonics lesson in action, receiving a rare glimpse into how the school develops this vital foundation skill that is essential to future success.  

One parent who attend their child’s Year 4 phonics lesson said,

“The children were all engaged, confident, desperate to put their hands up and take part. It was wonderful to see them having fun and enjoying their learning!” 

Additional phonics mornings have been scheduled in May for parents of pupils in Reception and Year 6. This will kick off the academy’s long-term plan for every parent to be given an opportunity to attend learning observations that share what is taught in every subject. Workshops covering other foundation subjects including Whole Class Reading and Maths (Arithmetic and Reasoning) will follow in the summer term.