English
Writing Curriculum: Intent
Our pupils will become writers across all the different curricula; they write as a historian or a scientist in addition to writing in English. Through their extensive reading and teaching of vocabulary, they will be confident and accomplished writers. They can write for a variety of audiences and purposes using range of vocabulary, grammar punctuation skilfully to enhance their writing.
Pupils learn from authors and use this to develop their own personal voice, mood, and style. In addition, their personal experiences and ideas will be used to create their own authorial voice. High-quality spoken language including extensive vocabulary and understanding of syntax is central to our curriculum both generally and in writing.
Writing Curriculum: Implementation and Impact
Implementation
Our English writing curriculum is taught through a carefully chosen high-quality text and these texts are read and analysed in class throughout the unit. These texts are chosen to reflect a diverse range of genres and authors as set out in the English Overview. Each unit is skilfully prepared aiming towards defined writing outcomes with a clear audience and purpose.
Many units use the Power of Reading teaching sequences as a starting point and then these are developed with a clear and relevant vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation focus and a variety of realistic writing outcomes. Each unit provides opportunities for pupils to make connections with other subjects (horizontal links); previously taught books and units (vertical links) and diagonal links of concepts such as root words, book genres and key themes and conventions.
The vocabulary, grammar and punctuation taught is fully embedded in the text the pupils are using to ensure meaningful application and the ability to use this independently. Each unit culminates in an extended writing lesson where they also edit and improve their writing. Writing is published in different forms such as displays and class books.
Impact
This is formatively assessed throughout the teaching of a unit where teachers identify gaps and misconceptions and address them in the next lesson or in small groups. Feedback, either written or verbal, is responded to in the next lesson which is dedicated to editing and revising their work.
Extended writes are used to identify any individual gaps or large areas of misconception, these take place fortnightly in most units. Publishing their work, in books or for display, is the final stage of the writing process.
The pupils’ writing is moderated in phase meetings and with other schools to assess the impact of our teaching and the attainment and progress of the pupils.
PENPALS for Handwriting
At Foundation stage, your child will be focusing on developing the necessary fine and gross motor skills in readiness for handwriting. They will practise a range of patterns including dots, waves and zig zags to prepare them for letter formation. You can view the full document here.
We also use the Little Wandle mantras in Reception and KS1 to support the children’s recall of the formation of the letters. Here is a copy of the formation mat they use in class.
Our library
Reading Curriculum & Phonics: Intent
There is both an embedded culture of reading for pleasure and an understanding that we also read to gain knowledge, ideas, and inspiration. We ensure that all pupils develop confidence in phonics and to word read with fluency to enable them to become confident readers and writers with secure language comprehension skills.
Pupils read and are read to throughout the day and have access to a variety of books in class, and in the library, that reflect their own realities and provide windows into other people’s lives and culture. The pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts from non-fiction texts, classic novels, modern fiction, myths and legends, poetry and plays.
All children have access to our fantastic library (see gallery above), created in collaboration with our parents, which also hosts a secret compartment much loved by the pupils!
Reading Curriculum: Implementation and Impact
Implementation
Our curriculum sets out high-quality texts, ranging between range of modern and classic fiction, which are used throughout school that builds children’s knowledge of literature and their reading ability in a structured way. Reading for pleasure is encouraged through the work of the class librarians, shared book reviews, story bags, displays within the library and around school, and participation in local book related events.
Pupils are taught to read fluently through the systematic synthetic phonics scheme Little Wandle, which is taught with fidelity and consistency. These lessons are daily and revisited during the day to ensure long term retention of the sounds and tricky words. All staff are trained and take reading groups, keep up and catch-up groups and whole class lessons.
Reading is taught initially through phonics then through reading skills lesson in Year 2-6. The same format of 3 lessons is utilised in Whole Class Reading lessons across the school to reduce the cognitive load of reading. The first lesson focuses on de-coding and fluency, the next on prosody and the third on comprehension. In these lessons, pupils read together, read in pairs and are read to. Simultaneously, these skills are revisited through diverse, high-quality varied texts in writing lessons. Vocabulary acquisition is support through the explicit teaching in all lessons and the use of Vital Vocabulary for subject specific Tier 3 vocabulary.
Impact
The impact of our reading is assessed in a variety of ways across the school.
In Reception and Year 1 Little Wandle assessments are conducted every 6 weeks. Phonics Screening Check is the final assessment of their fluency in Year 1. Regular reading groups across the school (3 times a week) assess those who need support or are new to English. Little Wandle and Big Cat book assessments are used as and when required to determine the next stage for pupils in KS1.
Star reader tests under taken each term give an approximate guide to the reading level of pupils in Year 3 and above to support their decisions about library books. Pupils take SATS or NTS assessments 3 times a year in year 2-6 to assess the impact of reading skills lessons and language comprehension. These assessments feed into the curriculum reviews and leaders and teachers make any changes necessary to support the pupils.