Our aim for English at Southern Road Primary is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. All children receive high quality teaching and appropriate support in order for every child to make good progress and reach their full potential.
We aim for all of our pupils to:
- Read 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 for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences,
- Use discussion in order to learn, elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas,
- Be competent in the art of speaking and listening; making formal presentations; explanation to others and participating in debate.
At Southern Road we encourage all children to become independent learners and be confident in all strands of learning. The children are given opportunities to speak in a variety of contexts and learn to listen to and value the views of others.
Our English curriculum is broken down for each year group into Reading, Writing and Spoken Language. Matching each year group with the statutory requirements for the teaching and learning of English as laid out in the National Curriculum in England: KS1 and KS2 Framework Document. This includes the discrete teaching of Phonics for pupils in EYFS, KS1 and where appropriate KS2.
Reading: Pupils have opportunities to undertake guided, shared and independent reading throughout the school. A diverse range of group reading books are available and whole class text provide additional reading opportunities and stimulus for writing. We believe that it is important to provide pupils with a wide selection of quality texts and experiences from different genres and subject matter, therefore we teach our English lesson through the use of a class text for each half term.
Phonics: The teaching of phonic skills is embedded within English teaching in each class. Additional provisions are made for discrete phonics session, each morning in KS1 and EYFS. During these sessions children are also explicitly shown how to apply their developing skills to their writing.
Spelling: We teach pupils strategies for spelling to enable children to become confident and competent spellers in line with the statutory requirements for the teaching and learning of English expectations, for each year group.
Writing: At Southern Road we teach writing through the process of building upon the necessary skills for writing and teaching children to develop their ability to organise and present imaginative and/or factual writing and poetry in different ways. This leads to a ‘Big Write’ every other week, which is an independent period of extended writing. This process is planned and taught over a nine day period following an agreed whole school approach which incorporates the following key elements of good writing:
- We treat children as writers, from the earliest stage, exploring pupil’s ideas and providing the necessary skills to allow them to communicate their own imaginative ideas, building on writing skills they have acquired and their knowledge of texts explored each half term.
- We provide engaging learning experiences where the children can acquire confidence and a positive attitude to writing, through the use of performing arts and speaking and listening activities.
- Children produce regular independent writing which develops sustained writing skills and stamina by providing opportunities for children to write for a range of purposes and audiences.
- We use guided writing sessions to model writing skills, teaching children how to compose, amend and revise their writing.
- We encourage children to become critical readers of their own and others writing by using self and peer evaluations and checking their work independently for sense, accuracy and meaning.
- Teachers plan and teach children the essential grammar and punctuation skill required for quality writing, in the context of children’s own writing, as well as through discrete grammar lessons.
We aim to provide for all children so that they make good progress in English according to their individual abilities. More able children are identified and suitable learning challenges provided. Children with identified SEND and EAL needs receive tailored support trough clearly scaffolded and differentiated learning opportunities. Children, who are identified as having additional needs with reading, receive extra support through targeted reading or phonics interventions.
“Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savour their songs.” Nelson Mandela.