English

Intent

At Fordingbridge Infant and Junior schools Federation, English and the teaching of English is the foundation of our curriculum.  Our main aim is to ensure that every single child becomes literate and progresses in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening.We want every child to have a love of reading as well as being able to read words accurately and comprehend texts.  Children should be able to discuss, share and explore a wide range of texts and have a reading fluency that enables them to access the what the full curriculum has to offer and succeed in the future.  Within writing, we want every child to be able to write competently for a range of purposes. All tasks are carefully matched to the children’s needs and teachers select Guided groups as appropriate.

Implementation

At the Fordingbridge Federation, English will not only be a daily discreet lesson, but is at the heart of the entire curriculum.  It is embedded within all our lessons, and we strive for a high level of English for all throughout the curriculum.  Through the use of high quality texts and vocabulary rich learning environments, children will be exposed to a language heavy, creative and continuous English curriculum.  This will not only enable them to become literate, but will also develop a love of reading, writing and purposeful speaking and listening.

Phonics and spelling

• For children in EYFS and KS1 there is a daily phonics session taught through the Monster Phonics scheme and we use a range of reading scheme books, from a range of publishers, which are very heavily focused on the application of learnt phonemes.  
• Children in Year 1-6 use Spelling Shed and have 2-3 discreet spelling sessions per week to study patterns and rules.
• Spellings are sent home weekly in KS1 and KS2 for children to practise and complete an activity around the pattern or rule.

Speaking and listening

• Children are taught to speak clearly, to convey their ideas fluently and confidently and to ask questions.
• Children have a variety of opportunities to present and perform in a variety of ways including learning poetry by heart.

 
Reading

• Children in Year 1-6 have regular Guided Reading sessions, which focus on a specific learning objective.
• Teachers model the process and thinking of a fluent reader during shared reading sessions.
• Teachers read high quality texts to their class regularly such as Winter’s Child in Year 2 and Clockwork, Kensuke's Kingdom and the Last Post in Year 6.
• Children requiring more support with their reading are listened to daily by an adult (teacher, LSA or volunteer) or have a specific reading intervention.  For example, children who are struggling with early blending are supported with SIDNEY which is a specialised intervention.
• Classes visit our welcoming and well stocked library every week and are given plenty of opportunities to change their books.
• Children take colour coded books home and read regularly with their parents/ carers, who are encouraged to communicate progress to teachers via the reading record.
• Within our school community, we have many volunteers who give up their time to support children regularly with their reading skills.

Writing

• Teachers use high quality texts to inspire and enthuse children during their learning journeys.
• Grammar and punctuation may be taught discreetly but are also taught within a learning journey.
• Vocabulary development is a key priority for the Federation and children are supported to learn and remember new words every day.  Teachers use the principles of Word Aware to introduce new vocabulary.
• Children are regularly taught to use cursive script for handwriting from Year 1 onwards and have daily practice if needed.  Within Early Years, children are taught rhymes to support with correct letter formation.
• All classes have an English display, which children can freely access to support their learning.
• Thesauruses and dictionaries are easily accessible for children to use independently where appropriate.
• A range of genres are taught across the Federation.  This enables children to be exposed to, and be knowledgeable about literary styles, authors and genres.
• Deep marking (once a week) provides positive support and directs the children on their next steps to improve their writing.
• Editing and proofreading skills are modelled by adults.

Impact

The impact of our English curriculum is clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills.  With the implementation of the writing journey being well established and taught thoroughly in both key stages, children are becoming more confident writers. By the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, a variety of writing genre are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.  As readers, children will leave the Federation being able to read independently for information. They will develop a love of reading for pleasure and read widely.  Children will be able to apply comprehension skills for a variety of purposes and across the curriculum.  Within speaking and listening, children become confident in using language to express themselves and communicate in a range of different contexts. Children will leave the Federation with the literacy skills needed to be successful in the next stage of their journey.