English Intent
The National Curriculum (2014) forms the basis for all subject teaching ensuring continuity and progression in an age-related curriculum. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children love to read, take pride in their writing and can clearly and accurately adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We want our children to be confident when speaking and listening and be able to use discussion to communicate and further their learning.
Our intent is to enable children to:
- Read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- Develop a love of writing and to be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through the written word.
- Re-read, edit and improve their own writing
- Confidently use the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and clearly explain their understanding and ideas
- Become competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate
English Implementation
In our school the teaching of English provides many purposeful learning opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of experiences, quality texts and resources to self-motivate and inspire our children. English is taught to all pupils every day following the Collins English Scheme of Work from Year 1 to Year 6. Teachers also ensure that cross curricular links with our focused curriculum is woven into the programme of study.
- Teachers create a positive reading and writing ethos in school, so pupils can enjoy and have a real pleasure when undertaking all English activities
- Teachers read regularly out loud to their class to promote reading
- Pupils in EYFS and KS1 have daily phonics sessions following the Twinkl Phonics programme which is DFE Validated
- Weekly spellings are sent home for the children to practise and are tested each week
- In EYFS and KS1 pupils are heard read individually or in small groups each week
- In KS2 pupils are heard read in small groups
- Pupils will acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners in English (using their phonics, spelling rules and patterns and how to tackle unfamiliar words when reading)
- Pupils to discuss and present their ideas to each other by talking, being able to elaborate and explain themselves clearly, make presentations and participate in debates
- All classes have working walls:
- In KS1 this will have the phonics they are learning that week, common exception words that the class find challenging, focused punctuation to use in their written work and focused curriculum words
- In KS2 they will have focused punctuation to use in their written work, common exception words that the class find challenging, targeted spelling and punctuation and focused curriculum words
- Vocabulary is promoted through class displays, enhancing and encouraging a wider range of vocabulary throughout their English work
- Teaching a range of genres across the school (progressing in difficulty) in both English and other curriculum subjects; resulting in pupils being exposed to, and knowledgeable about, literary styles, authors and genres. They will be given opportunities to express their preferences and opinions, supported by evidence, about different texts
- All classes will have displays of children’s writing to encourage pride in their work and show that their work is valued
- During the year reading and writing events, for all pupils from Nursery to Year 6 will promote enjoyment and opportunities to develop lifelong learning
English Impact
The impact and measure of this is to ensure that children not only acquire age-related knowledge linked to the English curriculum but also skills which equip them to progress as they journey through the school, and within their everyday lives.
Long term pupils will:
- Be confident when speaking and listening and to be able to use discussion to communicate and further their learning
- Be able to read fluently both for pleasure and to further their learning
- Enjoy writing across a range of genres
- Pupils of all abilities will be able to succeed in all English lessons because work will be appropriately scaffolded
- Have a wide vocabulary and be adventurous
- Have a good knowledge of how to adapt their writing based on the context and audience
- Leave primary school being able to effectively apply spelling rules and patterns they have been taught
English
The teaching of English covers:
Spoken Language (Speaking and listening)
Reading
Writing
Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
Phonics
Phonics
In EYFS and KS1 we are using Twinkl Phonics. Twinkl Phonics is a DfE validated full systematic, synthetic phonics programme that contains everything you need to deliver phonics teaching to children from the very beginning of learning to read and write to full fluency. It is a clear and rigorous scheme that builds progressively over time ensuring that children have a secure base in their learning from which to develop. It delivers Grapheme Phoneme Correspondences (GPCs) through their daily phonics lessons. This programme covers all the spelling and grammar objectives for Year 1 and Year 2 set out in the 2014 National Curriculum.
In Nursery, children follow the Level 1 programme learning to identify environmental and percussive sounds with the teaching of songs and rhymes. This will enable them to start to distinguish between different sounds so they are ready to identify the Level 2 phonemes.
In Reception we explicitly teach the phonemes and corresponding graphemes through the daily teaching of our phonics programme. We expect children to leave Early Years with the knowledge of Level 2 and Level 3 sounds.
As the children go into KS1 the skills and knowledge they have learnt are reinforced and built upon. In Year 1 we expect children to have sound knowledge of Level 4 and 5 sounds. In Year 2 the children complete Level 6 enabling them to consolidate and apply this knowledge in their daily reading. We expect children to leave Year 2 as confident, fluent readers.
As well as daily phonic lessons we also provide opportunities for:
- Small group guided reading sessions
- 1-1 reading
- Daily story time
- Regular reading book changing
- Reading opportunities woven throughout the wider curriculum
- Access to the school library
- Bespoke reading scheme in line with our phonics programme
Assessment and Monitoring in English
The impact of our English curriculum is measured through the school’s monitoring cycle.
- Lesson observations
- Book scrutiny’s
- Reading record checks – looking at individual, group reading and daily reading for those pupils who have identified within our monitoring systems
- Learning walks
- Pupil voice - to check understanding, knowledge, progression and confidence in discussing English
- Tracking pupils progress regularly in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar using Target Tracker – this informs planning and any interventions needed
- Pupil progress meetings three times a year
