English at Weston Favell CE Primary School
- To develop children as effective and competent communicators, in both spoken and written form, who leave our school with age appropriate communication skills, well prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.
- We anticipate that children will be able to communicate their ideas and emotions to others through their writing.
- We aim to develop their love of literature and teach them to appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage through widespread reading for enjoyment and the inclusion of high quality, age appropriate texts as a stimulus for writing.
- For children to acquire a wide vocabulary and an understanding of grammatical terminology in order to discuss their own writing.
- We teach children to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
- We explicitly link speaking and listening and reading with writing.
- Teach writing in ways which are imaginative, practical, creative and purposeful.
- Use drama for learning as a teaching tool.
- Put writing at the heart of our curriculum.
- Provide appropriate contexts for writing.
- Provide age appropriate opportunities for children to write for different purposes.
- Model writing with the children’s ideas, as well as unpicking high quality examples of writing.
- Teach children to enhance the effectiveness of what they write, through the process of editing their own work and responding to feedback.
- Expose children to high-quality ambitious vocabulary and teach them how to select this appropriately for their own writing.
- Teach children grammatical terms and structures according to The National Curriculum, in context.
- Teach children how to spell accurately.
- Teach children to employ positive learning behaviours, taking pride in the presentation of their writing, as well as increasing the fluency with which they are able to write.
Phonics and Spelling
- The vast majority of our children should be able to spell age appropriate words and use a variety of Tier 2 and 3 words accurately in their writing.
- Spelling is taught through daily phonics sessions in Reception and Key Stage One and three times a week in Key Stage Two.
- The structured scheme we use for phonics is Soundswrite and all staff have undertaken the 4 day training to ensure consistency of approach and expectation.
- Key vocabulary is sent home as homework and this may be linked to the spelling focus of the week.
- In order to support children with their spelling in written work, teachers identify spellings to be added to a spelling mat.
- Word lists are also be provided by the teacher as part of a writing scaffold.
- We aim to ensure that all pupils: read easily, fluently and with good understanding; develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information; acquire a wide vocabulary; and develop a lifelong love of reading. Through reading, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.
- Provide opportunities for reading across the curriculum.
- Expose children to a variety of high quality, carefully chosen texts from a wide range of genres.
- Use drama for learning as a teaching tool.
- Put reading at the heart of our curriculum.
- Ensure teaching of reading is robust and challenging at every stage of a child’s reading development.
- Provide children with opportunities to explore vocabulary at a level which is beyond their independent reading ability.
- Give children opportunities to talk about reading.
- Equip children to write about their reading.
- Provide opportunities for children to discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understanding and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar.
Parents are key to supporting children’s reading development, including reading for pleasure. The school supports parents’ confidence and understanding of the teaching of reading by providing Reading Updates, help sheets and inviting them to meetings. Parents are asked to record any reading done at home in a home-school reading record. They are provided with question prompts and examples of praise to use when reading with their children. There are regular opportunities throughout the year for parents to purchase books including book fairs and book sales from visiting authors. Reception also offer monthly Family Book Time sessions.
When the child reads with the teacher/TA they will be given a raffle ticket if their book is in school and the matching raffle ticket placed in the class piggy bank. If they do not have their book in school, they will be expected to read from an alternative book. They will not receive a raffle ticket in this case. There may be other opportunities for children to win raffle tickets e.g. holiday reading homework and competitions. Children will also receive a bonus raffle ticket if they have read 5 times consecutively at home. Once a week in Celebration Service a raffle is drawn with a prize for each year group. The prizes are books.