Intent
The National Curriculum (2014) forms the basis for all subject teaching, ensuring continuity and a clear pathway of progression as children advance through an age-related curriculum. At Castor C of E Primary School, we believe that an ambitious and quality English curriculum should develop and nurture children’s love and ability to read, write and discuss. We aim to develop 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.
Teachers ensure that the content is relevant and stimulating by delivering through high quality texts. We recognise the importance of English in every aspect of daily life and intend to inspire children to be confident when speaking and listening, able to use discussion to communicate and further their learning.
The inter-related skills of reading, writing and speaking/listening are taught and practised throughout the curriculum.
These intentions are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well-organised English curriculum and framework which provides purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of experiences, quality texts and resources which motivate and inspire our children. All children in years 1 to 6 receive daily lessons in reading, writing, Active Spelling and Active English. Cross-curricular links are woven into the programme of study where relevant.
Reading Intent
Our intent is that, during their time at school, each child will develop skills at reading so that they can read widely for pleasure; read for information; to read so that they understand themselves and others; and to gain knowledge of the world around them. Guided reading, shared reading and reciprocal reading are the foundations of individual and class-based reading activities.
Our intent is to enable children to:
- Read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for pleasure and for information
- Appreciate a rich and varied literary diet and heritage
- Use discussion in order to learn, being 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.
Writing Intent
Our intent is that each child will develop skills at writing so that they can write to entertain, to inform, to persuade or to discuss. Writing activities are therefore designed for these purposes, and for the application of the children’s grammatical, punctuation and spelling skills. Real-life or imaginary audiences are used to make writing more purposeful. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are taught both discretely (through Active English and Active Spelling) and applied through writing and reading lessons.
Our intent is to enable children to:
- Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in 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 and an understanding of grammar.
- Use discussion in order to learn, being 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.
Implementation
Reading Implementation
- Teachers create a positive reading culture in school, where it is promoted, enjoyed and considered ‘a pleasure’ for all pupils.
- Reading for pleasure is promoted through teachers reading aloud daily to their class from a class book.
- Pupils in Reception and Year 1 and those who did not pass the Phonics Screening Check by Year 2 have daily phonics sessions, following the National Curriculum using Little Wandle Phonics progression. Teachers also plan from the Little Wandle Phonics progression for any children identified as needing phonics intervention in Key Stage 2.
- Years 2 to Year 6 have daily Guided Reading sessions following the National Curriculum supported by the Reading Squad from Little Wandle. Year 1 begins their guided reading sessions in the Summer Term, alongside their usual phonics sessions. Pupils acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners in English, knowing how to tackle unfamiliar words when reading. Pupils are taught to be adventurous with vocabulary choices.
Reading at home
- We run ‘Information in Phonics’ sessions for Reception and Year 1 parents and carers. We have a weekly home-link reading record book for each child with high expectations that children will be supported to read regularly at home where possible. Reception children also receive links to the Little Wandle website to support in the teaching of new sounds, linked to their daily phonics input.
- All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 take home phonetically decodable books which reflect their learning in class. The reading scheme across school is supported by the school and classroom libraries. As a result, children are provided with books that not only challenge but also interest them and encourage their love of reading.
Writing Implementation
- At Castor C of E Primary School, we follow the National Curriculum. The teaching of writing across the school exposes children to literary styles through ‘Progressive Writing’ – a cycle of writing which ensures children become confident and knowledgeable writers.
- Working walls aid pupils and guide them through planning, sentence and paragraph construction.
- Editing and marking using the marking policy help children to improve, correct and consolidate their writing against the learning objectives.
- Displays of writing in class and shared areas give a purpose and audience, encouraging pride in work, and to show that work is valued.
- Reception and Year 1 follow the National Curriculum for the teaching of spelling, following the Little Wandle progression for spelling.
- Years 2 – 6 follow the National Curriculum for spelling using the Active Spelling progression, delivering daily 15-minute sessions whereby the teaching of spelling teaches, models, investigates and explores spelling patterns. Children learn through practise and application, including through dictation. These strategies enable them to become independent learners in English, knowing spelling rules and patterns. When children need further support in their spelling, the school provides access to the Nessy spelling programme.
- Age-appropriate spellings are sent home weekly for pupils to practise their spelling patterns or words.
- Handwriting is taught daily through teacher modelling in all lessons, particularly in Active English and Spelling using the Letter Join approach. For children needing further support, we provide additional handwriting sessions in small, focused groups.
- In Reception, children are taught to form each individual letter as they learn them. Alongside the teaching of handwriting, children will also be given opportunities to practise pre-handwriting skills and develop their fine motor skills for handwriting, ensuring they have the correct ‘pincer grip’ by the end of Reception. There will be an awareness of ascenders and descenders in lined handwriting books once correct letter formation is secure. From Year 2 onwards, we begin to explicitly teach correct joins. These skills are developed through regular handwriting lessons and practise as well as ongoing application in all of their writing. It is closely monitored and additional support is given to those who require it. By the end of Year 2, we expect most children to be writing with a joined cursive script to then further develop fluency and their own style as they move through Key Stage 2.
Pupil’s writing is monitored and assessed through the three stages of writing: Growing in Accuracy, Fluency and Automaticity.
Reading and writing events throughout the year encourage and promote enjoyment and opportunities to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Impact
The impact of this is that children will make progress from their starting points and develop transferable skills through sustained learning. Children will:
- Be confident writers, with most reasons for and styles of writing familiar to them by the end of Key Stage 2. They will enjoy being creative writers, with grammar, spelling and punctuation skills.
- Be confident in the art of speaking and listening, able to use discussion to communicate and further their learning. Our Oracy lessons allow the children to become confident communicators and to use these skills across all subjects.
- Be able to read fluently both for pleasure and to further their learning.
- Have a wide vocabulary and be bold with vocabulary choices in their writing.
- Have a good knowledge of how to adapt their writing for audience and context.
- Have made good and better progress from their starting points to achieve their full potential.
Assessment
The impact of our English curriculum is measured through the monitoring cycle in school. The school regularly monitors the standards of English within the school, with the aim of continually raising standards. Planning is informed by tracking pupil’s progress and any identified gaps are addressed through planning and intervention.
The quality of English at Castor C of E Primary School is monitored by subject leaders and senior leaders through planned drop-ins, pupil discussions (including listening to them read) and book looks throughout the year.
During each term, a summative assessment is carried out for reading and a standardised score and teacher assessment judgement recorded. In writing, independent pieces of writing (including writing from across the curriculum) are shared and moderated internally and externally with our partner schools. In phonics, half-termly assessments and diagnostic tests are carried out and used to inform planning and interventions.
National Statutory tests are carried out annually as follows:
- Reception Baseline Assessment
- EYFS Foundation Stage Profile
- Year 1 phonics screening
- End of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum assessments in English Grammar, punctuation and spelling and English Reading.
- Writing is assessed through teacher assessment.