English
Intent
At St. Peters, our intent is for all children to be able to express themselves confidently and effectively. We believe that communication is an integral part of daily life and that reading, writing, speaking and listening are fundamental tools that are needed for future success.
Our aim is to ensure that we build on pupils’ prior knowledge through our rigorous and carefully sequenced curriculum. We provide excellent models of literature for children to discuss and learn from. We particularly strive to nurture a love of reading, build an extensive vocabulary and encourage children to ‘read to learn’ not just ‘learn to read.’
Implementation
Our planning framework provides an outline of core texts, around which teachers develop a sequence of exciting and stimulating lessons, building on prior learning and promoting the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills.
We make good use of cross-curricular links and provide opportunities for children to listen, speak, read and write for different purposes and audiences, as well as to respond to a range of stimuli.
In reading, we provide a high standard of teaching, beginning with a synthetic and systematic approach to teaching phonics by following the Bug Club Phonics programme. From Year 2, reading comprehension skills are taught and practised regularly using the ‘VIPERS’ approach. We employ a wide range of stimulating, quality texts from different genres to challenge and engage pupils.
Our writing curriculum is based on the ‘Ready Steady Write’ materials and ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum, clear progression and quality literature for pupils to study and discuss. We support children with their writing by sharing engaging stimuli (vehicle texts), providing good models (example texts and teacher models) and by offering useful resources in the classroom environment, such as vocabulary lists, reminders of previously taught skills (writer’s knowledge) and sentence accuracy prompts, on our working walls.
Throughout school, we use the Nelson handwriting scheme to support all pupils to develop a neat, legible and personal handwriting style.
In the EYFS, spelling is taught mainly through the teaching of phonics. Tricky words are taught alongside phonetically decodable words. From Year 2 onwards, the teaching of spelling is organised in line with the Headstart resources to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum requirements and regular opportunities to revisit objectives.
To develop their speaking and listening skills, children are given opportunities to discuss, plan, perform, present, explain and evaluate across the curriculum. We also plan an annual timetable of events including school performances, poetry recitals, debates, class-led assemblies and church services for all pupils to participate in.
Impact
- Our pupils make good progress - they know more and remember more, as a result of our well-planned curriculum.
- Pupils achieve above average results in reading and writing throughout the school, including in national statutory assessments.
- Pupils have the skills required to further develop their knowledge across the curriculum and leave each key stage ready for the next step in their learning journey.
- By the time they leave St. Peter’s, our pupils are confident and articulate communicators, both verbally and in written form.
- Our pupils enjoy English and love to read, listen to and discuss books.