We believe that a quality English curriculum should develop children's love of reading, writing and discussion. We believe it prepares our learners for life as successful, valuable and socially responsible citizens. Our English curriculum provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum for English 2014 to enable all children to:
These aims are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We provide the means for children to develop a secure knowledge-base in English, which follows a clear pathway of progression.
It is our intention that the children will develop their mastery approach to writing by using their skills and transfer these to write in other curriculum subjects.
Rigorous assessment and review will ensure that the needs of all children are met.
Early reading is supported through the Read Write Inc programme. Regular training and development days ensure that staff are equipped to teach with the expertise and skills required to promote strong progress, as well as a love of reading. Children also take part in small group and whole class comprehension lessons in which a diet of high-quality texts and specific strategies are used, and where teachers explicitly model, monitor and assess reading skills to ensure children really read for meaning. Each year group has a high-quality class library from which children can choose books to take home. Class story times take place daily.
The writing curriculum is taught through a high-quality book led approach. By studying a high-quality text, we provide a purpose and a context for writing. We believe that pupils who are provided with a reason for writing demonstrate effective writing composition, leading to high quality outcomes.
Grammar is taught discretely but writing lessons are carefully planned to ensure children are provided with the opportunity to identify and use previously taught grammatical knowledge in context. Children are supported in how to apply the grammatical content taught in identifying features of a high-quality modelled text, before progressing to plan, write and re-draft a written piece which is fit for purpose and audience.
Teachers are aware of the importance of developing vocabulary. New and challenging words and phrases in texts are clarified and used as part of word banks to be included within writing composition.
In KS2, the writing journey is clearly seen as lessons build progressively towards an extended piece of writing.
When planning English lessons, teachers make links to other areas of the curriculum to ensure that cross curricular links provide further context for learning. Teaching focuses on fiction, non-fiction or poetry, and comprehension, grammar and writing are embedded in lessons.
Children are encouraged to have pride in presentation across all written outcomes.
Oracy is implicit to the curriculum. Children are given opportunity to become effective listeners and articulate, confident speakers within all lessons. Children are given the opportunity to share ideas, discuss and debate within English lessons and the wider curriculum. Opportunities are also provided to perform as a group or individually in plays, drama activities and class worships.
Assessment for Learning is embedded in English lessons and children are active in reviewing the successes in their work and identifying, with support from their teacher, target areas for development to ensure a continuous and individualised approach to improving their work.
The organisation of the English curriculum has realised a community of enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy showcasing their developing literacy knowledge and skills. Children are confident to take risks in their reading and writing, and love to discuss and share their ideas. Outcomes of work in both English and topic books evidence the high quality of work and the impact of varied and cross curricular writing opportunities. These enable children to write across a range of forms and adapt their writing successfully, considering the purpose.
