In our English teaching we aim to develop pupils’ abilities to communicate effectively in speech and writing, to listen with understanding and to become enthusiastic and responsive readers.
Pupils’ abilities are developed within an integrated programme of speaking and listening, reading and writing. This is usually implemented through a daily Literacy lesson for Years 1 to 4, and is linked to previous or current learning in other curriculum areas.
Children are encouraged to speak clearly, fluently and with confidence in groups of varying sizes and ages and to listen and respond to other people. Drama is used whenever possible which helps in bringing the curriculum to life.
Reading is an important daily activity and children are encouraged to read and enjoy the wide range of books we have available. We aim to teach reading through the enjoyment of books, and reading activities are planned for every day. Reading opportunities include guided reading, independent reading, reading with buddies, library time, DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) and class stories. Parent volunteers work in partnership with the school to listen to children read.
Pupils’ abilities are developed within an integrated programme of speaking and listening, reading and writing. This is usually implemented through a daily Literacy lesson for Years 1 to 4, and is linked to previous or current learning in other curriculum areas.
Children are encouraged to speak clearly, fluently and with confidence in groups of varying sizes and ages and to listen and respond to other people. Drama is used whenever possible which helps in bringing the curriculum to life.
Reading is an important daily activity and children are encouraged to read and enjoy the wide range of books we have available. We aim to teach reading through the enjoyment of books, and reading activities are planned for every day. Reading opportunities include guided reading, independent reading, reading with buddies, library time, DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) and class stories. Parent volunteers work in partnership with the school to listen to children read.
Parents take an active part in developing the joy of reading by sharing the books brought home each day and making comments in the reading diary.
Comprehension Crusher units are used for guided reading sessions. Word reading, vocabulary meaning, reading fluency and expression, discussion and comprehension skills are developed during these sessions.
We have a very well stocked library and library time is part of the weekly routine for each class. Children learn to choose their own books and take them to read and enjoy at home. We also have an outdoor library called The Book Nook and this gives children the opportunity to continue to develop their love of reading during playtimes.
Children from Reception to Year 2 are taught synthetic phonics on a daily basis through Floppy Phonics. This is levelled and is linked to their spellings. From Year 2, children are taught spellings through a morphological approach. We use Spelling with Grammarsaurus to advance children's spelling skills beyond phonics by focusing on morphology. By focusing on morphology, the children learn important spelling rules and how to build morphemes. This foundation enables children to spell longer words, recognise patterns, and decode unfamiliar words during reading.
Children from Reception to Year 2 are taught synthetic phonics on a daily basis through Floppy Phonics. This is levelled and is linked to their spellings. From Year 2, children are taught spellings through a morphological approach. We use Spelling with Grammarsaurus to advance children's spelling skills beyond phonics by focusing on morphology. By focusing on morphology, the children learn important spelling rules and how to build morphemes. This foundation enables children to spell longer words, recognise patterns, and decode unfamiliar words during reading.
Writing skills are developed through the explicit teaching of writing. In the Autumn term, children complete a grammar based unit called the Place Value of Punctuation and Grammar. When this first unit has been completed, Grammarsaurus writing unit guides are used to support teachers in creating a bespoke learning journey for their class. At the beginning of each writing unit, children complete diagnostic tasks. The results of these are analysed and assessment for learning dictates the subsequent learning journey. High quality model texts are used to examine the presentational and language features of the text-type being studied during the deconstruction phase. This is followed by contextualised construction, and specific text-type features, spelling, grammar and punctuation are taught. Reconstruction is the next step in the writing process, and children create their own piece of writing. Finally, an assessment and feedback phase allows children to review their writing and determine what they did well and what they need to do next.
Nelson handwriting is the scheme we use to teach children to develop a confident, legible and personal handwriting style.
