English subject information 

Aims: 

Our curriculum aims to equip all children with the tools required to read and write at a level that allows success across all areas of the curriculum and life.  Through the acquisition of these skills, we hope to instill a love of reading and writing that is formed in the earliest stages of our early years provision, nurtured and developed through KS1 and 2 and then continues to flourish as the children transition into KS3 and beyond.  Our curriculum fulfills the requirements of the National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework.  

Nursery and Pre-school:

- ELAN curriculum progressions map developmental progress through nursery and pre-school towards achieving Early Learning Goals at the end of EYFS

- language rich environment and provision to engage and promote development of communication skills

- high quality adult interactions support language development through ELKAN training and strategies

- early intervention using bespoke interventions 

- phonological awareness  taught through rhymes, games and songs and planned to ensure children develop a range of skills across the settings and are ready to access phonics in reception 

- early writing skills are developed with a range of mark making and physical activities that develop correct grip, fine motor control and an awareness of using writing to communicate meaning 

- concepts about print are modelled by adults and children have engaging, well resourced areas to read by themselves and with adults

 Reception and Year 1: 

- Daily phonics sessions planned using EXTEND Letters and Sounds scheme

- ELAN English curriculum clearly sets out the development of foundational knowledge in reading (both decoding and comprehension) and writing (both transcription and composition) 

- Regular diagnostic assessments for phonics ensure interventions are highly targeted and address early gaps in knowledge

- In Year 1 daily spelling spotlight sessions focus on transcription and encoding for writing 

- Instructional read and write sessions led by adults enable children to apply their phonic skills with increasing independence

- 5 a day core books and rhymes provide exposure to high quality, diverse range of texts and develop love of reading

- Communal oral retelling and Helicopter Stories develop oral language skills and the joy of storytelling

- Handwriting is taught systematically and follows clear developmental approach from mark making to fluent letter formation

- Environment provides further opportunities to apply skills in reading and writing through engaging and motivating continuous provision 

- Language and communication continue to be a focus through high quality adult interactions ELKLAN, early intervention and a language rich environment that promotes talk and engagement

- Reading books are matched to phonic ability and individual and guided reading books are organised into steps relating to the phonics progression.  A variety of schemes are used for the decodable reading books  

Years 2 - 6

Reading:

- daily reading for pleasure and class stories using high quality texts to develop love of reading and breadth of knowledge

- daily guided reading sessions to teach and apply decoding skills, vocabulary development, fluency, comprehension monitoring, inference and text structure

- Individual reading is targeted and gives opportunities for further application and  for adults to give individual feedback 

- interventions closely matched to need and targeted to improve decoding skills or fluency and prosody  

- Once able to decode fluently children move to free reading books - these provide a range and breadth of reading opportunities 

- Choice of free reading books enables children to develop their own reading preferences and they are trained to use IPICK to ensure books are appropriate for them to read on their own

Spelling: 

- Spelling is taught though the EXTEND Spelling Programme for Years 2-6 

- 4 x 20 minute spelling sessions a week

- explicit and interactive teaching of spelling which encourages children to investigate and understand how our spelling system works

Writing:

- Sequences of learning planned though ELAN English curriculum 

- Based around a diverse range of high quality texts

- Move through stages of writing process with immersion in a high quality text, vocabulary work, discrete teaching of grammar and punctuation, text marking and structure, planning, modelled and shared writing, independent write and then proof reading and editing

- Each stage of the writing process is modelled and taught with the outcome of a high quality extended writing piece

- A range of genres and purposes for writing are included and writing in other areas of the curriculum provide valuable additional practice of writing skills 

- Handwriting is taught either as a whole, class, small group or individually depending on need and fluent joining is explicitly taught through a handwriting progression 

Spoken Language:

- ELAN English curriculum provides a range opportunities for speaking as part of writing sequences

- New vocabulary is explicitly taught in ELAN English curriculum and guided reading in relation to high quality texts 

- All curriculum subjects include a focus on developing vocabulary and using Opening World 10 techniques to ensure vocabulary is embedded and can be used in context by children

- Opportunities to orally rehearse and develop language for writing through planning and modelled stages 

- Adult interactions provide excellent models and are used to develop vocabulary and language structures

Whole school:

- library sessions in school and at local library

- promotion of home reading - rewards and prizes 

- reading buddies

- Opening mornings and parent workshops for engagement and information

- Author visits 

- Theatre performances

- Book sales and swaps

- World Book day events

- Home library for EYFS 

- Free book bags funded in reception for all children