Welcome to GES Simply Letters and Sounds programme.

Validated by the Department for Education (DfE).

 

Feedback from the DfE about GES Simply Letters and Sounds Teachers’ Handbook:
‘The panel has remarked this is one of the clearest manuals that they have had the pleasure of reviewing, a real strength of the programme and something that will ensure this programme is well equipped to support teachers and schools.’

GES Simply Letters and Sounds is a complete systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme, with contents carefully selected from Letters and Sounds 2007, Statutory Revised Early Years Framework, 2021 and the National Curriculum 2014 documents.
At GES Ltd, we have a moral purpose to close the attainment gap in reading between disadvantaged children and other children nationally. We believe that it is every child’s fundamental right across the globe to acquire the basic, life-long skills of reading.
“The GES Simply Letters and Sounds programme has been securely embedded into our school practice. Teachers have found the planning and progression within this programme extremely clear, which in turn is supporting the children’s learning. We particularly like the fact that the programme does not become overloaded with ‘whizzy’ games or presentation materials. The direct and instructional teaching fits with the current research, which is guiding our approach to learning, all linked to cognitive science. Teachers have explained how the clarity of this has enabled them to be explicit about the teaching content, without being distracted with other presentational/resource- based aspects of the lesson.
Finally, the support and guidance provided by Raj has been superb, not only at a Senior Leadership level, but also with the Phonics Lead and the whole staff team. Raj has provided whole school training on the programme, as well as coaching opportunities with our middle leaders”- Lee Duffy, Headteacher, St Mary’s Bryanston Square CofE Primary School, Westminster

Overview of GES Simply Letters and Sounds

Our full SSP programme offers the following:

  • Principles of working memory are firmly embedded, offering children opportunities to overlearn key phonic knowledge, and to master blending and segmenting skills to enable them to gain fluency, accuracy, and speed in reading and spelling.
  • GES Simply Letters and Sounds Teachers’ Handbook (Digital).
  • Great Expectations Secured Handbook: GES Simply Letters and Sounds Keep Up Programme (Digital).
  • Clear incremental progression of phonic subject knowledge and skills that matches and exceeds the expectations outlined in the Statutory Revised Early Years Framework and the National Curriculum.
  • Six-week planning for each halfterm and daily lesson plans that are ambitious, flexible, and adaptable to each school’s context (Digital). Lessons support teachers to identify children’s strengths and next steps for learning. Lessons can be adapted for online delivery.
  • Interactive direct teaching of the core skills of blending for reading and segmenting for spelling using a multi-sensory approach.
  • Opportunities to practise and apply taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) at the point of learning within the phonics lesson.
  • Reading and spelling are taught from an early stage. A prompt start is made in Reception. SSP work is promoted as the prime route to decoding text throughout.
  • Tricky words taught sequentially in line with GPCs and phonic phases.
  • Ongoing and summative assessments built into daily lesson plans and the long-term pathway (six-week planning for each half-term).
  • Assessments are used diagnostically to identify precise difficulties and offer additional targeted support immediately using our Keep Up Programme.
  • Half-termly tracker that provides leaders with a snapshot of children’s phonic progress, identifying gaps and informing the planning of targeted support.
  • Keep-up and not catch-up is the mantra that underpins the entire programme.
  • Resources, both printed and digital, which are matched to phases, support teachers in teaching phonics effectively and can be adapted for online delivery.
  • Handwriting resources with clear start and finish points for letter formation.
  • Decodable books, Ransom Reading Stars, are an exact match to the progression of the grapheme – phoneme- correspondences and tricky words taught in the programme
  • High-quality continued professional development (CPD), guidance and support for leaders and teachers to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children, including the disadvantaged and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

 

Progression of Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondence (GPC) and Tricky Words

Progression of GPC and Tricky Words

  • Mapped out over six weeks, with the first five weeks being teaching weeks. The sixth week is revision and assessment week.
  • Tricky words, known as common exception words (CEW) in the Primary National Curriculum, align to each of the phases in the original Letters and Sounds 2007.

 

“Clear progression from Phase 2 – Phase 5” – Rachel Jewitt, Executive Headteacher, St Barnabas’ CE Primary School and Nursery, Westminster

“Impact of repeating tricky words within the lessons leads to clear progress”  – James Humphries, Headteacher, Kentish Town Church of England Primary School, Camden

Teachers' Handbook and Great Expectations Secured Keep Up Programme Handbook

The Teacher’s Handbook provides teachers with all the necessary guidance to implement GES Simply Letters and Sounds Systematic, Synthetic Phonics Programme in their schools.

The Great Expectations Secured Handbook provides guidance for practitioners with supporting those children at risk falling behind with the pace of our programme. It offers teachers two approaches – Same Day Keep Up and Sustained Intervention Programme.

“Consistency of teaching and learning strategies. Supports our strong ambition for every child being able to read” – Rachel Jewitt, Executive Headteacher, St Barnabas’ CE Primary School and Nursery, Westminster.

Decodable Books

Ransom Reading Stars decodable books match the progression of grapheme-phoneme correspondence (GPC) and tricky words in GES Simply Letters and Sounds.

‘They are ambitious. The books are high quality.’ DfE, June 2022.

Shown below are some examples of the Ransom Reading Stars books.

Please click here to be directed to their Website for the full set of books.

Pupil Voice

“I like to read my phonics books, I like reading Pat, Pat.”  

“I like reading Ships and Boats because I like boats and I am using my phonics to help me read.” 

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Our training and support packages are delivered by long-standing phonics experts and school leaders with extensive experience in phonics and early reading.

One of our associate consultants is a SEND specialist, dyslexia specialist and assessor who plays a key role in supporting schools to ensure that children with SEND access the same phonics curriculum as their peers and achieve highly.

To view the Training Courses We offer click here

 

“Raj is an excellent phonics expert who has a passion for sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience with school leaders and teachers. Her support and training are second to none and often extend beyond her remit. Raj’s work in our schools has resulted in further improvement in phonics and early reading and improved the outcomes for pupils.”   – Helen Ridding, Managing Director, Grow Education Partners

GES Simply Letters and Sounds Online Subscription

Our subscription offers schools a generous package of teaching materials, resources, and continued support to schools.

GES Simply Letters and Sounds online subscription includes:

  • GES Simply Letters and Sounds Teachers’ Handbook (digital) 
  • GES Great Expectations Secured Handbook: GES Simply Letters and Sounds Keep Up Programme (digital) 
  • Six-weekly planning for Reception & Year 1
  • Daily lesson plans for Reception & Year 1
  • Six-weekly planning for Year 2, revision block of Phase Five and National Curriculum content Autumn 1
  • Daily lesson plans for Year 2 Autumn 1
  • Half-termly assessment materials for Reception and Year 1 (see Handbook) 
  • End of Phase Five assessment for Years 1 & 2 (see Handbook) 
  • Half-termly Tracker
  • Resource Downloads PDFs:
    – Grapheme Mats Phases Two, Three and Five
    – Grapheme Phoneme-Correspondence Support Mats – Phases Two, Three and Five
    – Phase Five Alternative Spelling Mat – Consonants
    – Phase Five Alternative Spelling Mat – Vowels
    – Correct Letter Formation Mat A3
    – Handwriting Worksheets with clear start and finish points for letter formation A4
  • Digital Resources to support online delivery on any digital platform. Available to download:
    – Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondence Mnemonic Cards Phases Two, Three and Five
    – High frequency and Tricky Word Cards Phases Two, Three, Four and Five
  • Short CPD video clips

We offer a range of annual subscriptions depending on the size of schools. Current subscription rates are:
One Form Entry £750 + VAT
Two Form Entry £850 + VAT
Three Form+ Entry £1,050 + VAT

From second year onwards, the subscription has to be renewed annually. The renewal subscription rate will be reduced by £100 depending on the size of your school.

This annual subscription renewal will:

  • Entitle your school to continue using the programme
  • Have access to three one-hour online support sessions during each academic year, based on your school’s priorities, and needs.

 

 

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