English

Intent

At Brookside Primary School, we recognise that English is a core subject within the National Curriculum and a pre-requisite for educational and social progress. We aim to help all pupils develop a love for the English language through the spoken and written word and empower them to communicate imaginatively through engagement with the world around them. We aim to develop pupils’ abilities within an integrated programme of the Spoken language, Reading and Writing. Pupils will be given opportunities to interrelate the requirements of English within a broad and balanced approach to the teaching of English across the curriculum, with opportunities to consolidate and practise taught literacy skills.

Implementation

Writing at Brookside Primary School is taught through the Read, Write Inc. programme in Foundation, in Years 1 and for some pupils in Year 2. Thereon, writing is taught through the Pathways to Write programme in conjunction with the use of quality texts. During all writing sessions, there is an emphasis on developing pupils’ vocabulary and reviewing previously taught objectives. Opportunities for writing for a real purpose and across the curriculum are utilised by class teachers at every opportunity.

Reading at our school is delivered through daily guided and shared reading sessions which provide a consistent whole school approach to reading for all children. Children are encouraged to discuss and reflect upon the books they read, developing skills and strategies to become competent, fluent readers. Through auditing our pupils’ reading preferences, we ensure that reading should be for pleasure and that our pupils are given opportunities to develop a “love of reading”.

Reading and Phonics

We use the Read, Write Inc. programme to teach reading and phonics in our early years classes, Year 1 and for some children in Year 2. All the children are regularly assessed and grouped according to their current level of phonic knowledge and skill. These groups are fluid and children will move groups throughout the year. Sessions take place daily and are taught by staff trained specifically in the programme.  

Children in EYFS and Year 1 and some children in Year 2 will bring home at least two corresponding Read, Write Inc books per week which are closely matched to their current phonic knowledge and as such should be fully decodable. These will be supplemented with a book from our library for children to share with an adult or older sibling. This book will probably not be fully decodable for your child yet so the expectation is not for the child to read this book themselves. We believe strongly that children will develop a love of reading through experiencing success when reading at home and having quality story time with a wide range of books.

Impact

The Impact of our Literacy Curriculum

Throughout reading and writing sessions, children learn to identify the key language features within each writing genre and the basic skills in writing are continually reinforced. Specific skills in Literacy are developed, including:

Reading KS1

Phonic skills are established and developed, along with basic grammar and vocabulary.
Children take on more complex words, grammar and texts in Year 2.

Children enthuse and enjoy reading and talking about books they have read.

Reading KS2

Comprehension and increased understanding of more complex words (Year 3/4).
Diversifying reading repertoire to multiple text styles and types (Year 5/6).

Increasingly sharing opinions on what children have read and enjoyed reading.

Writing KS1

Basic spelling and handwriting.
Finer details and specificities of spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting. Extended write opportunities across the curriculum.

Writing KS2

Refinement of spelling and handwriting (cursive) and advanced grammar and punctuation.
Begin to plan, draft and edit (with support in Year 3/4).
Broad vocabulary, think aloud to draft, re-read and check meaning is clear (Year 5/6).