Curriculum – English

Subject Leader – Miss K Dunn

Intent

The intent of our English curriculum is to develop children’s spoken language, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary to enable them to apply their knowledge and understanding across different subject areas and for different purposes.

As a result, our children will be able to:

• Speak clearly and convey their ideas confidently.
• Ask questions to further their understanding.
• Develop their confidence and fluency of reading.
• Develop their resilience and independence for learning
• Develop comprehension skills.
• Embed basic skills.
• Embrace a love of reading.
• Increase their understanding of language structures and techniques.
• Apply strategies to aid spelling.
• Understand and use ambitious vocabulary.
• Write a range of text types, for different purposes and in different styles.
• Have their success in English celebrated.
• Use their reading and writing skills in all areas of the curriculum.

Implementation

The Letters and Sounds programme of study is used to develop children’s phonics knowledge. Children are placed in groups to match their needs and increase their confidence in early reading. Adults read to children regularly, and opportunities are created daily for reading and writing.  In EYFS, parents are involved in the library book system, whilst in KS1, children have ‘reading buddies’ from KS2. As children develop their reading skills, they are listened to regularly by teachers and teaching assistants, building up to whole class guided reading. Whole class guided reading is used to develop children’s word reading and understanding, as well as improving their knowledge and use of vocabulary. Comprehension lessons focus on language features, vocabulary and developing understanding of a text by learning and applying comprehension techniques. Teachers use a range of fiction and non-fiction texts, as well as pictures and videos, to develop these skills.

Early writing is developed through play, and real life writing opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom environment. Children also develop their writing in their phonics learning and through directed writing tasks. A broad range of activities are used to develop children’s gross and fine motor skills, in order to aid handwriting development. Spelling, punctuation and grammar lessons allow children to develop their understanding in these areas, in order to apply this to their writing. Children explore and write a range of fiction and non-fiction texts and are taught to evaluate and improve their own writing. Children’s confidence in writing is nurtured by analysing texts in detail, high quality modelling and shorter writing tasks, building up to longer pieces of writing. Children learn to develop their independence as a learner, by assessing their own needs and selecting writing tasks based on this.  Teachers ensure that writing is exciting, engaging and purposeful and ensure that children’s writing is celebrated.

Across the English curriculum, children who require further support with their learning have access to phonics, reading and writing interventions, as well as booster reading. Teachers ensure that children requiring additional support are identified early and provisions are made as appropriate

A range of extra activities are used to promote English within the school, including World Book Day, author visits, a book fayre, writing competitions, reading rewards and reading questions.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum will be evident in the progress of our children and their ability to know more, remember more and do more. Teachers continually give feedback to children to further their understanding and provide challenge, and children act upon this feedback. Children’s independence and confidence in applying skills taught and developed in English lessons will be seen across the breadth of the curriculum and will be evidenced in their written work. Cold and gold tasks in writing, as well as pre and post learning tasks in other areas of the curriculum, show children’s progress throughout each topic or learning focus. Teachers complete assessments in reading and writing each half term and this data is then analysed.

The impact of our English curriculum will be apparent in the children’s engagement, enjoyment and enthusiasm towards reading and writing, as well as the progress evidenced in their books, through their discussions and in their increasing confidence, independence and resilience in English.

Have a look at our progression documents to see how we build on the learning and skills in each year group.

Writing

Whole School Overview for Writing

For more detail on the skills and knowledge taught in writing please look at our writing progression document. Writing Progression Document

Reading

To discover what types of reading and texts we are looking at in each class please take a look at our Reading whole school overview

For more detail on the skills and knowledge taught in each year group please read over our Reading Progression Document

Punctuation and Grammar

To discover what we are learning in Punctuation and Grammar  in each class please take a look at our Punctuation and Grammar Whole School Overview.

For more detail on the skills and knowledge taught in each year group please read over our Whole school SPaG progression document