Intent

When our children leave Shortbrook we expect them to be avid readers, children who read fluently and widely and are able to express preferences and opinions about the texts that they read. High quality texts are shared and enjoyed and play a central role to the whole English curriculum. We want our children to read for pleasure, having had access to a wide range of text types, genres and authors in order for them to make informed opinions about their favourites! Our English curriculum will equip children with the literacy skills needed to be confident readers and creative writers; writing for a range of purposes and articulating ideas along the way. We will encourage them to develop their own individual writing flair. Our children will be able to write with grammatical accuracy and be able to apply spelling patterns correctly using a neat handwriting style. We aim to expose our children to a wide range of vocabulary so that they are able to decipher new words and then use them when speaking both informally and formally. It is also important that we aim for our children to apply all of their English skills to all areas of the curriculum.

Implentation

Reading

Daily reading sessions focus on the key skills required to be a successful reader. Every class has a high quality text that is selected from a recommended list. All English work is then planned and delivered through the context of this text. Teachers are skilled at teaching reading and model how to teach reading at all levels, which are then practised and applied independently. Reading and writing is taught across the curriculum ensuring that skills taught in these lessons are applied in other subjects. Every child in school takes reading books home, linked to phonics or recommended reading ages, and children also have access to books from their classroom libraries so they can develop a love of reading 'widely' and 'often'.

Phonics

We teach phonics through the Read, Write, Inc Ruth Miskin phonics programme. It is a systematic, fast paced approach to teaching phonics. The children read decodable books that match their phonics level. Children who continue to require further support will receive phonics teaching and fast track tutoring beyond year 1.

English

A high quality text is used for a sequence of English learning each half term. This allows children to enjoy reading whole texts through their English lessons and become fully immersed into the vocabulary, characters, settings, themes, information and ideas in the literature they are exploring. A range of writing opportunities are planned within the sequence of learning and throughout the year, children are given opportunities to write for a variety of contexts, audiences and purposes. All spelling, punctuation and grammar objectives for each year group are taught throughout the year. We follow our own scheme of work for spelling.

Assessment in the form of high quality verbal and written feedback, which children respond to, enables them to review and improve their writing and work towards producing high quality written pieces.

Writing

At Shortbrook, it is our aim that all children leave us able to write clearly and accurately with the ability to adapt their language styles to different contexts. Daily support, across the curriculum, is offered so children can produce written work to the best of their abilities. SPAG is taught progressively within the context of reading and writing. We have high expectations with regard to handwriting and presentation.

Impact

Through discussion, questioning and feedback, children will talk enthusiastically about reading and writing and understand the importance of this subject. Children will be able to talk about books and authors that they have enjoyed and can make reading recommendations.

Children will build up a repertoire of books and can make links between texts and the different themes and genres within them. They can recognise similarites and differences and discuss these with confidence.

Children will acquire reading and writing skills progessively and at pace appropriate to each individual child. Teachers subject knowledge will ensure that skills taught are matched to National Curriculum objectives.

At the end of every year we expect the children to have achieved Age Related Expectations (ARE) for their year group. Some children will have progressed beyond. Children who have gaps in their knowledge will receive appropriate support and intervention.