J. K. Rowling
We aim for our pupils to exceed expectations of attainment and progress in English by enabling them to be confident and articulate in how they communicate in written and spoken word. Over 40 languages are spoken within our school community – making our community a vibrant place with the development of English a key focus.
- A strong emphasis on reading for pleasure
- Using phonics to teach children to read fluently through Little Wandle
- Enabling children to apply their learning to become highly competent learners
- A focus on spelling including spelling lists
- An expectation that pupils master formal English through reciting poetry, debating and presenting work – thinking about the audience
- Sharing class texts, with regular opportunities for reading aloud
- Word and sentence level work and activities planned for individuals, pairs or groups as appropriate
- A creative approach to literacy linked to other work in the curriculum, and topics of interest such as music, film and ICT.
- Using trips and events to support the writing of texts
- Ensuring writing shows progression by using success criteria for each unit of writing.
"Evidence suggests that children who read for enjoyment every day not only perform better in reading tests than those who don’t, but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures. In fact, reading for pleasure is more likely to determine whether a child does well at school than their social or economic background."
We use the RIC approach in our teaching and learning. This teaches the fundamental skills of retrieval, interpreting and choice as well as other skills specific for each year group. Children collate their work in reading journals which are used to make an assessment of their progress across the year. In addition, we have regular comprehension tests and termly assessments. Children are listened to read regularly by members of staff and some children use Lexia literacy software to support their reading.
We love reading. We have class libraries and a timetable for the use of the whole school library. We review our catalogue regularly and ask the children for ideas of books that they would like us to buy.
We celebrate World Book Day in style, with all year groups embracing the love of reading and its power to inspire them to success in their lives.
