Goring CE Primary: Curriculum Intent: English
The 2014 National Curriculum for English aims to ensure that all children:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate
At Goring CE Primary School, English is the foundation of our curriculum. Our main aim is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. This is embedded throughout the curriculum and ensures that every single child becomes primary literate and progresses in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening so that they have limitless opportunities throughout their educational journey and beyond.
The children at Goring CE Primary are exposed to high-quality texts, vocabulary rich environments and an ambitious and creative curriculum which supports them in acquiring the language skills they need to successfully participate in society.
We recognise the importance of teaching a systematic, synthetic phonics programme that allows children to progressively develop a secure knowledge of sounds which is built upon in every year group.
We believe that reading feeds pupil’s imaginations and opens up a treasure house of wonder and joy for curious young minds. We are passionate about reading and want every child to be too. We want them to leave Goring as confident readers who are able to read fluently and who have a life-long love of books.
We believe that great readers make great writers and are committed to ensuring that children have exposure to a variety of texts from a range of authors and genres from which they can learn to model their own writing. Pupils are taught grammar and other writerly strategies and techniques they can employ when they are planning, drafting, revising and editing their writing before publishing for purpose and for a chosen audience.
We believe that all pupils should be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing by developing a neat, joined, handwriting style.
Curriculum Implementation
At Goring CE Primary, our English curriculum is derived around high-quality, age-appropriate texts. We use books to create opportunities to develop reading fluency and comprehension with a focus on key reading strategies and skills; develop grammar and punctuation knowledge and understanding to use and apply across the wider curriculum; explore the writing structure and features of different genres, identifying the purpose and audience; plan and craft a piece of writing with a clear context and purpose before evaluating, editing and redrafting.
Reading
A reading for pleasure pedagogy underpins all teaching of reading at Goring. Teachers are encouraged to expand their knowledge of children’s literature and to have an awareness of children’s reading habits and preferences. Book talk is an integral part of school life where all members of our community are seen as readers who openly share their love of reading with others. Reading environments containing high quality texts are established in every classroom where children have time and space to explore texts in greater depth, share favourites and talk spontaneously about their reading.
In Early Years and Year 1, reading is taught in small groups where a phonetically decodable book is read and discussed. Furthermore, children have continual access to a range of texts for their enjoyment and are read to on a daily basis; pupil voice is valued in choosing the books to be read.
From Year 2 to Year 6, reading is taught using a whole class reading model. Six carefully chosen fiction books covering a range of themes, genres and authors are read throughout the year in each year group which form our school reading spine. These are supplemented by additional texts including poetry, non-fiction, graphic novels and comparative texts. A wide range of effective questioning is used during class discussions to challenge, probe and extend children’s understanding and learning.
In addition, throughout the school year, the importance of reading in enhanced through world book day, author visits, book fairs and participation in events run by the local library.
Writing
Early writing is taught through early mark marking then when the children begin Q phonics, they are taught the letter formations. This begins with writing individual letters and CVC words before moving on to short sentences using the sounds they have been taught.
In line with the national curriculum, we ensure that each year group is teaching the explicit grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives required for that age group. As well as teaching the objectives, teachers are able to embed the skills throughout the year in cross curricula writing opportunities and aim for all children to achieve the objectives at the expected level and some children can achieve at a greater depth standard.
We aim to develop children’s ability to produce well-structured, detailed writing in which the meaning is made clear and which engages the interest of the audience/reader. In Year 2, and across Key Stage 2, children are exposed to a variety of genres which helps to utilise and embed the writing skills for different purposes. Teachers use a variety of recommended texts to plan, structure and teach their English lessons. Writing is taught through use of a high quality text which exposes the children to inference, high level vocabulary, a range of punctuation, characterisation, setting and plot. Each text is purposefully selected in order to promote a love of reading, engagement and high quality writing from each child.
Both children and teachers use writing journals to generate ideas and to experiment with words, phrases and sentences. Teachers use journals to model themselves as writers and to generate a model which they can share with the class as part of their teaching.
Teachers give direct instruction in the different components of the writing process (how to generate an idea, plan, draft, revise, edit, publish). They scaffold children’s understanding of these processes through demonstration, discussion, modelling and sharing exemplars which they have written themselves.
Phonics and Spellings
Phonics is taught daily in Early Years & year 1 using an adaption of Q phonics which ensures that our approach is systematic, consistent and vigorous meaning that all children are supported at the beginning of their journey as readers and writers. Phonics tracker is used to regularly assess children’s progress and to identify any gaps in learning which are then targeted through high quality interventions.
In year 2, children revisit previous phonics learning before moving on to learn spelling patterns which are taught through Spelling Shed. Children who did not previously pass their phonics screening continue to have targeted phonics lessons.
Spelling Shed is used from Year 2 to Year 6 to teach spelling rules, patterns and age-related spellings. Discrete spelling lessons take place every week and children have opportunity to practice their spellings daily both in school and at home using the Spelling Shed website. Where appropriate, the spelling of words in KS2 is linked to phonics learning.
Handwriting
In Key Stage 1, handwriting is taught alongside the teaching of phonics where children learn letter formation through rhymes and actions which are linked to corresponding phonemes.
In Key Stage, handwriting is taught through the use of ‘Teach handwriting’ which builds on children’s prior knowledge. Letter formation and joins are modelled through the use of videos and by the teacher.
Whole School Reading and Phonics Schemes
- Systematic synthetic phonics teaching programme supported by Q phonics resources
- Reading Stars phonic linked books
- Range of high quality texts