English

Reading

Intent: 

We believe that the teaching of reading is integral to a child’s understanding and appreciation of the world around them; a platform that allows our children to see beyond what they know, share in cultural experiences and develop the vocabulary they need to effectively express themselves. Our reading curriculum strives to foster a lifelong love of reading.  We cultivate the behaviours that they will need to be discerning readers as they read frequently and discuss what they read. This curriculum is delivered through synthetic phonics, a linked approach to shared and guided reading, home reading, reading across the curriculum, regular opportunities for independent reading and hearing quality texts read aloud every day. All of these are essential components as they offer the range of opportunities needed to develop fluent, enthusiastic and critical readers. 

Implementation:

Impact:

In the Early years and KS1, children’s progress in phonics is continually reviewed through daily informal and half termly formal phonic assessments and evidence from their reading and writing. Assessment is used to monitor progress and to identify any child needing additional support as soon as they need it.

Assessment for learning is used daily within class to assess gaps, address these immediately and secure fluency of GPCs, words and spellings, as well as identifying children needing additional 1:1 support.

Summative assessment is used three times a year to assess progress, to identify gaps in learning that need to be addressed, to identify any children needing additional support and to plan any additional support that they need.

In KS2, children’s reading is assessed using a variety of methods including Benchmarking and the completion of NFER and previous SATs papers. In addition, evidence from children’s responses during Guided Reading sessions and 1:1 reading with pupils is used to formatively assess children in order to identify gaps and plan subsequent lessons.

Writing

Intent: 

We aspire for all children to be able to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through their writing and reach their full potential. Through the application of our Talk 4 Writing curriculum, we aim to provide exciting writing opportunities and experiences that engage and inspire children. We want all children to acquire an ambitious vocabulary and to be able to spell new words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school. Children should also acquire a solid understanding of grammar so they can write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. We believe that all children should be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing, in part by developing a legible, cursive, individual handwriting style by the time they move to secondary school.  Every child should have a good knowledge of phonics to form a firm foundation to become a fluent writer. We intend to provide a progressive curriculum to build upon previous teaching, with regular assessment opportunities to ensure each child’s needs are met, readying them for the next phase in their education.

Implementation: 

Impact:

Teachers use assessment as an integral part of the teaching and learning process and link it clearly to the children’s next steps. Writing criteria are used to assess children’s writing against National Curriculum objectives, which again ensures progression across the school. This includes developing a secure knowledge of punctuation and grammar and ensuring children are equipped to apply these within their writing. Effective feedback marking with actionable ‘next steps’ and ‘modelling’, where appropriate, ensure that children know exactly what they need to do next to make progress in their writing. Children complete a termly ‘Big Write’, as further evidence that they have successfully acquired the knowledge and skills to be able to write successfully for a purpose and audience.