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    You are here: CURRICULUM  HOMEPAGE  > English

  • Reading

    Reading Intent

    Our intent is to instil a love of reading in all pupils.  Through the use of quality core texts, we provide opportunities for children to explore their imagination, improve fluency and expression, enrich vocabulary, broaden knowledge and develop deeper understanding.

    Implementation

    Our English curriculum centres around the use of high-quality and age-appropriate core texts.  Each core text has been carefully selected to create opportunities to develop reading fluency and comprehension with a focus on key reading strategies and skills.  In the National Curriculum, reading consists of two dimensions - word reading and comprehension. As the children move through the school, they are taught a whole range of reading skills, which include the following:

    • Decoding and blending (EYFS + KS1)
    • Recognition of ‘tricky’ words on sight (EYFS + KS1)
    • Retrieval of information from a text
    • Participating in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views
    • Interpretation of information and drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
    • Predicting what might happen next
    • Commenting on the writer’s use of language, structure and presentation
    • Performing a text
    • Identifying the writer’s purpose and viewpoint
    • Summarising a text or part of text
    • Distinguishing between statements of fact and opinion
    • Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
    • Identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
    • Making comparisons within and across books

    Reading lessons

    • Children take part in reading lessons (approximately 30 minutes long). 
    • During the session, pupils have opportunities to read aloud or in silence, in pairs, or listen to an adult read.  
    • Discussions take place on the text, with the focus on the reading objectives from the National Curriculum.
    • A range of questions are asked which are appropriate to the abilities of the pupils yet encourage deeper understanding.
    • Follow-up activities are given for children to demonstrate their understanding of the text.  These could include comprehension questions, vocabulary work, or a short writing activity.
    • In EYFS and Key stage 1, children participate in small group reading sessions with a range of texts appropriate for their reading level.  

    Other reading opportunities

    • A wide selection of texts that are structured in different ways, including fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books are continually woven in alongside fiction texts to help provide background information for the children on the fiction text they are reading.
    • A wide range of reading books are available in the school. All children from Nursery to Year 6 take reading books home. We expect families at home to read these books with their child daily.
    • Every classroom contains a selection of books which are directly linked with the class topic. This offers opportunities for the pupils to apply their reading skills across the curriculum.
    • The classroom reading area is filled with books suitable for their reading age. 
    • Some children will receive 1:1 reading opportunities or additional reading support.  They will often be given a range of books with high interest yet match their current reading age.

    Reading for Pleasure

    Children have opportunities to read for pleasure within the school day.  They all have a book that they choose to read independently.

    • Children are read to each day by their class teacher. 
    • Every classroom has a selection of books provided by Hounslow School Library Service. These are changed termly and contain a selection of fiction and non-fiction books at a variety of reading levels.
    • Children have access to a school library with a vast range of books.

    Impact

    As a consequence of our core text approach to the teaching of English, we believe that the children have developed an enjoyment of the subject and have accumulated vital skills that will ensure our pupils are academically prepared for life beyond primary school and throughout their educational journey.  The English Curriculum has ensured that our children make good progress from any starting points, and that the attainment outcomes for the majority of pupils are at least in line or exceed age-related expectations.

    We measure the impact of the English curriculum in a variety of ways:

    • Formative assessment through marking and feedback, pupil observations, key questioning, class discussions
    • Pupil attainment and progress data
    • End of Key Stage outcomes (EYFS, Phonics, KS1 and KS2)
    • Learning walks and observations
    • Book looks and moderation of work
    • Pupil conferencing
    • Children presenting work in class and for a wider audience

    Impact in Reading

    • Reading lessons ensure that all children are exposed to high-level questioning.
    • Reading lessons ensure that all children in the class are exposed to challenging vocabulary, and pre-teaching enables children to understand words without affecting fluency.
    • Children feel supported by 1-1 reading sessions with a range of adults.
    • Parents have the opportunity to provide comments and feedback in home reading journals EYFS and Key Stage 1.
    • Children have many opportunities to read for pleasure.
    • They discuss books that they have enjoyed and recommend them to their friends.
    • They enjoy opportunities to read independently and develop their reading stamina. 
  • Writing

    Our intent is for every child to write for pleasure and to be equipped with the skills to write fluently, accurately, creatively and with the ability to adapt their language and style for a range of contexts.

    Implementation

    We aim to encourage children to produce well-structured, detailed writing in a range of genres, where the meaning is made clear and which engages the interest of the audience and reader.  Across the school, our writing opportunities are developed through the core texts within each year group. Our curriculum provides opportunities for all children to explore high-quality texts in depth, enhancing comprehension and providing meaningful contexts and purposes for writing.  They have opportunities to write at length, in extended, independent writing sessions at the end of a unit of work – applying their taught skills to an unsupported piece of writing.

    The teaching of writing often follows this format:

    • Immersion in a genre, including: Talk for Writing, role play, class discussion, paired discussion, sentence construction, punctuation and grammar work related to the genre, development of working walls, teacher modelling, text marking of modelled texts in the same genre as the one to be written and short pieces of writing.
    • Planning – this could be a supported activity involving writing frames and differentiated success criteria.
    • Writing- this can be both independent (with the aid of writing frames and success criteria) or supported (frequent teacher modelling, shared writing, or guided writing.) 
    • Proof-reading and evaluating own work. Often, the children proof-read with a partner and evaluate it together.
    • Peer marking – marked by another child against the success criteria, stating what they have particularly liked about the piece of writing and what they feel could be developed further. Sometimes, the children work in pairs whereby they look with a partner at their own piece of writing and then at their partner’s.
    • Teacher marking- teachers mark writing using green and pink pens to guide children of ‘what went well’ and ‘even better if’.
    • Editing and ‘blue pen’ opportunities- children working on the comments which have been highlighted by the teacher or their peer in their books.
    • Publishing- children publish written pieces.  These are often celebrated in assemblies or put on display.
    • On many occasions, children have a ‘Cold Write’ – they plan and write an unseen piece in the same genre. 
    • Children are widely encouraged to write in other areas of the curriculum, applying what they have learnt in English.
    • Opportunities to write for pleasure include morning writing activities, homework projects and writing competitions both in school and nationally. 

    Grammar

    At Green Dragon, we understand the importance of grammar and recognise that it gives the children more conscious control and choice in the way they speak and how they write.  Grammar lessons are taught throughout the week either in guided reading sessions or at the beginning of English lessons, where they are relevant to the genre being worked on.  Discrete sessions allow for opportunities to identify, practice and consolidate grammatical understanding through a range grammar tasks. It is class teachers' expectations that, following the sequence of lessons to form building blocks to a piece of writing, children will begin to independently apply the grammar skills and content taught and embed these within their writing.

    Spelling

    Spelling, appropriate to ability and age expectation, is regularly in line with statutory guidance as outlined in the National Curriculum English Appendix 1 - Spelling. The children are taught a range of strategies to enable them to spell words correctly and are encouraged to apply these strategies to their independent writing.  Class teachers uses ‘Spelling Shed’ to support with the teaching.  This can then often be used as homework for children where applicable. Spellings are sent home in each year group as part of the children’s homework; the pupils are then tested on these words in their weekly spelling tests.

    Handwriting

    At Green Dragon, the importance of children being able to write legibly, fluently and at a reasonable speed is recognised. With these skills, children have a much greater chance of being able to reach and demonstrate their true potential throughout their school careers and in their lives beyond school.

    In the EYFS, great emphasis is placed on developing children’s gross and fine motor skills so that they are ready for writing.  Letter formation is taught in small groups during free flow activities; whereas pupils in KS2 practise handwriting directly into books. Across the school, handwriting is carefully modelled by the teachers and support staff. The use of patterns to support letter formation and appropriate letter-joins is also embedded enabling children to further develop their fine motor skills. High expectations are also communicated as part the success criteria for the lesson. Successes and improvements are recognised through displayed work and through the award of a pen licence.  A high standard of presentation is encouraged and expected in children’s written work across the curriculum.

    Impact in Writing

    • Children enjoy the variety of writing opportunities that they are given. They talk positively about writing in role or writing about their own experiences.
    • Children are able to link their writing to the core text. They understand the world that their story is set in and are able to write confidently as a result of this.
    • Due to the variety of educational visits offered, children have many opportunities to recount their experiences in writing, whether it be a recount or diary entry.
    • Children write for real-life purposes too such as for the school newsletter or an election speech to be voted onto the school council or for  House Captain Speeches. They can express their opinions clearly and use appropriate vocabulary.
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