English

INTENT

The overarching aim for English is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. 

In speaking and listening we aim to ensure that all pupils develop:

• an exceptional talent for listening attentively so as to understand what is being said. 

• a rich and varied vocabulary that gives clarity and interest to conversations.

• clear speech that can be easily understood by a range of audiences.

• an excellent grasp of the rules used in English conversation, such as tenses and the grammatical structure of sentences.

• a highly developed ability to tell stories that capture the interest and imagination of the audience.

• a delight in initiating and joining in conversations.

• respect for others when communicating, even when views differ.

In Reading we aim to ensure that all pupils develop:

• excellent phonic knowledge and skills.

• fluency and accuracy in reading across a wide range of contexts throughout the curriculum.

• knowledge of an extensive and rich vocabulary.

• an excellent comprehension of texts.

• the motivation to read for both study and for pleasure.

• extensive knowledge through having read a rich and varied range of texts.

• the ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum.

• a vivid imagination which makes readers engage with and enjoy their writing.

• a highly developed vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.

• well-organised and structured writing, which includes a variety of sentence structures.

• Excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented and punctuated, spelled correctly and neat.

• a love of writing and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.

 IMPLEMENTATION

Spoken language and a broad, rich vocabulary underpins the development of reading and writing and the whole curriculum. We follow the strategies and progression of the VOICE 21 programme, where children are taught the four key strands of Oracy knowledge and skills: physical, linguistic, cognitive and social/emotional. 

In addition to daily English sessions, children develop early reading skills through the use of the Read Write Inc programme from Reception to Year 2, and beyond for those who need additional support. Comprehension and inference are taught daily using the MIDAS strategies and the CGP Comprehension scheme, through high-quality discussion of a range of stories and non-fiction texts. A love of reading is developed through our class reading sessions and daily reading of a book from our Reading Spine. This is designed using books, written by inspirational authors, which we value and want the children to have read by the time they leave primary education. Texts are purposefully selected to take the reader on a journey, from sharing picture books, to sharing a range of chapter books that gradually expose the reader to beautifully crafted storylines with evermore intriguing and challenging themes. The Core text books are also chosen to complement teaching in the wider curriculum, where a range of Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry and Visual Literacy are used.  Through reading, we aim for children to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually, as well as have a strong command of decoding and comprehension.

Talk for Writing strategies are embedded from the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards and provide children with opportunities to visualise texts and orally rehearse sentence construction in preparation for writing. Correct grammatical terms are taught and used to discuss writing. We foster a culture where children take pride in their writing and are able to write clearly, accurately and coherently for a range of purposes and audiences. Effective composition is taught through planned and structured opportunities to imitate, innovate and write independently.

 IMPACT

• During and/after lessons, pupils are assessed through informal assessment techniques: questioning, conferencing, reviewing written work against learning objective/success criteria, short retrieval activities, flashbacks. 

• Termly Rising Stars tests are undertaken for Reading. 

• Teacher assessment for Writing is based on ongoing work and termly free/independent writing.