English

Aims

We aim to teach our pupils so that they have:

• fluency in the spoken language and in reading and writing;
• a rich vocabulary and an ability to make links through language;
• an enjoyment of the creative, expressive and technical aspects of English.

Principles

English is the core subject which underpins the whole curriculum and as such has prominence through the school day. In line with the National Curriculum, our teaching of English aims for pupils to master the technical aspects of the language, whilst actively developing their ability to use it as a vehicle for communication, expression and creativity. Opportunities are provided for individual and group oration and for extended, focussed reading and writing without distractions, as well as for whole-class and collaborative activities. All pupils are taught year-group appropriate content from the National Curriculum, with accommodation or scaffolding to ensure access where necessary. Highly able pupils are guided to achieve greater levels of sophistication, clarity and depth in their language. A rich vocabulary is seen as a crucial component of language mastery. Pupils are given many opportunities to explore the writing processes and purposes of actual authors and to emulate these in their own texts. An understanding that writing is generally revised and redrafted is a key feature of English lessons. High-quality input and feedback from teachers are prerequisites for pupils’ learning.

From Reception the children start learning phonics using the Jolly Phonics scheme, following the 'Letters and Sounds' guidance. Children are assessed at the end of Year 1 using the Phonics screening programme. Whilst we do not have one specific reading scheme, children access a wide range of reading books which are banded accordingly.