Curriculum Intent for English

Intent:

At St Simon's we believe that our English curriculum should develop pupils' passion for reading, writing, speaking and listening.  We aim to inspire an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage and a habit of reading widely and often, from a selection of high-quality texts. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing. Our aspirations are for children to write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and use discussion to communicate, reason, justify and therefore further their learning.

We believe that a secure basis in literacy skills is crucial to a high-quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate as educated citizens and contribute to a better world.

Implementation:

Phonics:

The systematic teaching of  synthetic phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and where needed in Key Stage 2 also. Staff systematically teach learners the relationship between sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them. Phonics is delivered in a whole class format, on daily basis because it enables staff to ensure application across subjects embedding the process in a rich literacy environment for early readers. High quality class and group teaching is the most efficient and effective way of ensuring good progress for children. As a school we teach Phonics through the 'Little Wandle' programme,  which is from the list of validated systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programmes.

We use a range of multisensory strategies to enthuse and engage the children, including the use of interactive whiteboards, magnetic letters, speaking and listening, songs, rhymes and practical games and activities.  Children work with pace and are encouraged to apply their knowledge across the curriculum with any reading or writing activities. 

Our systematic phonics programme also includes decodable books which are given to pupils both through online reading and via home reading log books.

Reading:

All children read and are read to so that they develop a love of reading. Books are selected by teachers with the knowledge of how they link to other areas of the curriculum and provide opportunities for engagement in high quality texts, celebrating our own experiences and those of others. As teachers we are the best people to promote a love of reading within our children.

All books are organised in KS1 in order to ensure progression and challenge for all children. This falls in line with the Progression in the Little Wandle programme linked to the teaching and learning of Phonics and Reading. Little Wandle is a Card based phonics programme with reading books matched to the appropriate phonics phase for each pupilwhich they can access at home and school.  

At KS2, pupils access the Accelerated Reader Programme to ensure individual progression for reading. In addition to this, teachers plan time for children to be tested using the Accelerated Reader program. The programme has diagnostic tools built in so that we can identify strengths and weaknesses in the children's reading and target appropriate support and challenge.

Guided Reading sessions are planned by all teachers to teach a range of skills and techniques which enable children to comprehend the meaning of what they read and develop their understanding of the vocabulary used by authors.

Writing:

At St Simon's we foster a love of writing from the earliest stages of learning. We prioritise the need for daily writing opportunities through engaging and inspiring lessons.  Opportunities for children to apply their writing are planned and links to the wider curriculum are made when doing this.

Our aim is for children to become more confident writers and by the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.

Writing is assessed at appropriate times when key skills can be applied in a meaningful way and next steps identified by the teacher and also through self and peer assessment. We prioritise the importance of enriching experiences to inspire children through the teaching of English, including Author Visits, book swaps and story telling sessions. 

Spelling:

Spelling is an integral part of the curriculum and is taught daily at St Simon's. We use the English Appendix 1, as a resource to teach spelling. This includes the statutory word lists and common expectation words for each Key Stage or Year group.

These aims are embedded across our literacy lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum for English 2014.

The national curriculum for English aims 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, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
● appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
● write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
● use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
● are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Impact:

Children will use their English knowledge and skills, in all curriculum areas, to enable them to become lifelong learners. Pupils will use their Reading skills as a key tool in helping them to learn, and as a result, know more, remember more and understand more. Children will be able to produce written work in all areas of the curriculum of a similar standard which evidence good progress.

As a result, our school will have learners who are enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy showcasing their developing literacy knowledge and skills. They are confident to take risks in their reading and writing and love to discuss and share their ideas.