There’s nothing quite like the buzz of a new term — fresh displays, new faces and renewed enthusiasm for teaching and learning. It’s a time of possibility and purpose. For senior leaders and literacy teams, it’s also the perfect moment to refocus on what truly matters: ensuring every child builds strong foundations in reading through high-quality phonics teaching.
At Monster Phonics, we know that effective leadership is the driving force behind successful early reading outcomes. That’s why our Leadership Toolkit and online training pathways have been designed to empower leaders to embed consistent, impactful phonics practice across the school.
“Schools using Monster Phonics report higher pupil engagement, improved progress in reading and greater teacher confidence in delivering phonics.”
— Monster Phonics Impact Report
1. Set the Vision and Revisit the Why
The start of a new term is the perfect time to revisit your school’s shared vision for early reading. Remind staff why phonics matters — it’s the foundation for success in every subject and a key driver of equity and confidence for all pupils. Using Monster Phonics, you can easily demonstrate this with our colour-coded system that makes sound-spelling correspondence more memorable and engaging for children.
2. Use the Leadership Toolkit with Purpose
The Monster Phonics Leadership Toolkit supports you in monitoring, guiding and celebrating high-quality phonics teaching. Use it to:
If you are a member, you can access the full Leadership Toolkit and supporting materials here:
👉 Monster Phonics Leadership Toolkit Resources
By using the toolkit strategically, leaders can foster a culture of continual improvement — not just compliance.
3. Empower and Support Your Teachers
Teachers thrive when they feel supported and confident. Consistent monitoring is not about catching mistakes but building expertise. Schedule regular phonics team meetings to share best practice, reflect on pupil progress and troubleshoot challenges. Encourage teachers to use Monster Phonics resources fully — from decodable books to interactive lessons that make learning fun and memorable.
4. Invest in Professional Development
Our Monster Phonics Online Training and specialised pathways for Reading Leaders offer flexible, expert-led professional development that fits around your busy school schedule. These pathways deepen understanding of phonics pedagogy, assessment and intervention strategies. Leaders who engage with our online CPD gain the tools to coach and mentor their staff effectively — turning phonics confidence into whole-school consistency.
5. Monitor, Reflect, and Celebrate
Ongoing monitoring is essential — not just at data points, but every week. Use lesson observations, pupil voice and book looks to build a rounded picture of progress. Celebrate the wins — the pupils who’ve made a reading breakthrough, the teacher whose creative phonics lessons inspire engagement, the teaching assistant whose intervention work closes gaps.
Small celebrations build big motivation.
Ready to Lead with Impact?
This term, put your Leadership Toolkit into action. Support your team with clarity, consistency and confidence. Monster Phonics is here to help — with expert-led training, evidence-based resources and a community of practice that champions every child’s journey to reading success.
👉 Explore our Online Training and Leadership Pathways today to make this your most effective phonics term yet.
Share Your Success!
We love hearing how schools bring Monster Phonics to life. Share your leadership successes, classroom highlights and phonics achievements on social media — and tag @MonsterPhonics to join our growing community of passionate reading leaders. Together, we can make this the strongest phonics year yet.