English
SPOKEN ENGLISH, READING, PHONICS, WRITING, HANDWRITING, SPELLING, VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR & PUNCUTATION
Intent
‘Speaking, listening and reading are the building blocks from which high quality writing emerges.’ ‘From Gallimaufry to Coherence’ by Mary Myatt
A high quality education in English will teach children to speak, read and write fluently and enable them to participate and flourish fully across the curriculum and in life. At Oughton, we strive to promote high standards of English, by equipping children with a strong command of the spoken and written word and develop their love of literature, through widespread reading for enjoyment.
We aim to ensure children:
Implementation
These intentions are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well-organised English curriculum and framework, which provides purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion.
The English curriculum begins in our Nursery and Reception setting, where the children’s interests guide us and the Early Learning Goals then underpin the learning.
The National Curriculum 2014 outlines what we teach in each year group and from Year 1 to Year 6 and we use ‘Herts for Learning’ plans to support the teaching in our English lessons. Our short term plans (daily) give details of the main teaching objectives for each unit and show what we teach and how, including key vocabulary, speaking and listening opportunities and grammar skills to be covered. We use a wide variety of experiences, diverse quality texts and resources, which motivate and inspire our children. All children receive a daily English lesson. Cross-curricular links are woven into the programme of study where relevant.
Speaking and Listening / Spoken English
Speaking and Listening forms an important part of English and the curriculum across the school. Communication and Language within the Early Years is vital and underpins every area of development. As children progress through the school, we encourage a range of speaking and listening focuses. As part of the English lessons, children encouraged to become confident, fluent speakers who are able to use a wide range of adventurous and ambitious vocabulary in the correct context, which enables them to clarify their thinking as well as organise their ideas for writing and ask and answer sensible questions in all lessons.
Phonics and Spelling
We teach Phonics using a complete systematic synthetic Phonics programme called Little Wandle from Early Years Foundation Stage. This is based on the original Letters and Sounds, but extensively revised to provide a complete teaching programme meeting all the expectations of the National Curriculum, the Ofsted Deep Dive into reading and preparing children to go beyond the expectations of the Phonics Screening Check. This runs until the end of Year One, but continues into Year Two and into Key Stage 2 where needed. Grammar and spelling are taught following the National Curriculum throughout all lessons. In Reception and Year One, Phonics is taught in daily sessions within the classes. From Year Two to Year Six, we follow the ‘Herts for Learning’ essential spelling scheme, which embed the National Curriculum objectives. Sessions are delivered daily and pupils acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners in English knowing spelling rules and patterns.
For those children who need further support, interventions are planned, tailored to individual needs.
Please see our Phonics documents for additional information.
Reading
Teachers throughout the school, from Nursery to Year Six create a positive reading culture, where reading is highly promoted, enjoyed and considered ‘a pleasure’ for pupils. Reading is promoted through teachers reading out loud regularly to their class and throughout the learning day. Our Early Years settings are book rich environments which engage children in reading individually, small groups or whole class for pleasure or as part of the learning. Each reading exchange is an opportunity to embed new vocabulary.
Guided Reading occurs daily from Year One outside the English session, and is based on a series of activities during the week within each class. Pupils acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners and learn how to understand the texts fully.
As well as Guided Reading, all children from Early Years have an individual reading book matched to their level of independent reading – they take this home and are encouraged to read it at home as well as to adults at school. These books are produced by Collins and are linked to the progression of phonics in Little Wandle. In addition to these fully decodable books, each child takes home a book from their class library to share. This is to develop their love of reading.
From Year Two, books are colour banded according to level and include a range of schemes such as the Oxford Reading Tree and Collins Big Cat plus fiction/non-fiction books. Children move onto 'free reading' when they become independent readers. Engaging challenges are linked to the home reading to encourage speaking and listening opportunities at home and school, maintaining an understanding and love of reading. We identify children who need support and provide intervention in the most efficient and effective way that we can, including using Lexia, 1:1 or small group support.
Writing
Writing is an important part of our curriculum and is an integral part of our lessons. At Oughton, we teach writing, ensuring it is purposeful. In Nursery and Reception, Communication and Language is threaded through out all aspects of learning. Opportunities for literacy learning are taught through discrete sessions, activities, and areas during CHIL (Child Initiated Learning) which takes part inside and outdoors in the Early Years setting.
From Year One, we use the ‘Herts for Learning’ English scheme, which links to a variety of stimuli, including a diverse variety of books. Word aware and vocabulary is a focus during all lessons; however, in the English lessons we make opportunities to link vocabulary to entomology, impact on the reader and how this influences our writing. Displays of writing in class and shared areas, giving a purpose and audience, encouraging pride in work and to show that work is valued. In line with the National Curriculum, we ensure that each year group is teaching the explicit grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives required for that age group.
We run a variety of information session for parents, including ‘Information in Phonics’ sessions for EYFS parents and carers, and ‘Reading and Writing across the School’ sessions for KS1 and KS2 Parents and Carers. At Oughton, we feel whole school reading and writing events throughout the year encourage and promote enjoyment and opportunities to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Progression of handwriting is taught and high expectations regarding presentation are instilled across all curriculum areas. All children in EYFS are taught to hold a pencil correctly and begin to form letters correctly. Key Stage One focuses on clear letter formation, with the expectation that Upper Key Stage Two join handwriting.
Please see our English Overview which highlights the units of work for each year group – Nursery to Year 6.
Impact
The impact on our children is clear: positive progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills. By the end of KS2, all of our children have made considerable progress from their starting points in EYFS.
Children:
Children have the key skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for their next stage of learning.
We hope that as children move on from us to further their education and learning that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.
‘Speaking, listening and reading are the building blocks from which high quality writing emerges.’ ‘From Gallimaufry to Coherence’ by Mary Myatt
A high quality education in English will teach children to speak, read and write fluently and enable them to participate and flourish fully across the curriculum and in life. At Oughton, we strive to promote high standards of English, by equipping children with a strong command of the spoken and written word and develop their love of literature, through widespread reading for enjoyment.
We aim to ensure children:
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage and vocabulary.
- acquire a wide vocabulary, understanding and knowledge of grammar and spelling.
- use discussion in order to learn and be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas.
- are able to make formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening and drama.
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
- read fluently, with good understanding.
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
Implementation
These intentions are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well-organised English curriculum and framework, which provides purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion.
The English curriculum begins in our Nursery and Reception setting, where the children’s interests guide us and the Early Learning Goals then underpin the learning.
The National Curriculum 2014 outlines what we teach in each year group and from Year 1 to Year 6 and we use ‘Herts for Learning’ plans to support the teaching in our English lessons. Our short term plans (daily) give details of the main teaching objectives for each unit and show what we teach and how, including key vocabulary, speaking and listening opportunities and grammar skills to be covered. We use a wide variety of experiences, diverse quality texts and resources, which motivate and inspire our children. All children receive a daily English lesson. Cross-curricular links are woven into the programme of study where relevant.
Speaking and Listening / Spoken English
Speaking and Listening forms an important part of English and the curriculum across the school. Communication and Language within the Early Years is vital and underpins every area of development. As children progress through the school, we encourage a range of speaking and listening focuses. As part of the English lessons, children encouraged to become confident, fluent speakers who are able to use a wide range of adventurous and ambitious vocabulary in the correct context, which enables them to clarify their thinking as well as organise their ideas for writing and ask and answer sensible questions in all lessons.
Phonics and Spelling
We teach Phonics using a complete systematic synthetic Phonics programme called Little Wandle from Early Years Foundation Stage. This is based on the original Letters and Sounds, but extensively revised to provide a complete teaching programme meeting all the expectations of the National Curriculum, the Ofsted Deep Dive into reading and preparing children to go beyond the expectations of the Phonics Screening Check. This runs until the end of Year One, but continues into Year Two and into Key Stage 2 where needed. Grammar and spelling are taught following the National Curriculum throughout all lessons. In Reception and Year One, Phonics is taught in daily sessions within the classes. From Year Two to Year Six, we follow the ‘Herts for Learning’ essential spelling scheme, which embed the National Curriculum objectives. Sessions are delivered daily and pupils acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners in English knowing spelling rules and patterns.
For those children who need further support, interventions are planned, tailored to individual needs.
Please see our Phonics documents for additional information.
Reading
Teachers throughout the school, from Nursery to Year Six create a positive reading culture, where reading is highly promoted, enjoyed and considered ‘a pleasure’ for pupils. Reading is promoted through teachers reading out loud regularly to their class and throughout the learning day. Our Early Years settings are book rich environments which engage children in reading individually, small groups or whole class for pleasure or as part of the learning. Each reading exchange is an opportunity to embed new vocabulary.
Guided Reading occurs daily from Year One outside the English session, and is based on a series of activities during the week within each class. Pupils acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners and learn how to understand the texts fully.
As well as Guided Reading, all children from Early Years have an individual reading book matched to their level of independent reading – they take this home and are encouraged to read it at home as well as to adults at school. These books are produced by Collins and are linked to the progression of phonics in Little Wandle. In addition to these fully decodable books, each child takes home a book from their class library to share. This is to develop their love of reading.
From Year Two, books are colour banded according to level and include a range of schemes such as the Oxford Reading Tree and Collins Big Cat plus fiction/non-fiction books. Children move onto 'free reading' when they become independent readers. Engaging challenges are linked to the home reading to encourage speaking and listening opportunities at home and school, maintaining an understanding and love of reading. We identify children who need support and provide intervention in the most efficient and effective way that we can, including using Lexia, 1:1 or small group support.
Writing
Writing is an important part of our curriculum and is an integral part of our lessons. At Oughton, we teach writing, ensuring it is purposeful. In Nursery and Reception, Communication and Language is threaded through out all aspects of learning. Opportunities for literacy learning are taught through discrete sessions, activities, and areas during CHIL (Child Initiated Learning) which takes part inside and outdoors in the Early Years setting.
From Year One, we use the ‘Herts for Learning’ English scheme, which links to a variety of stimuli, including a diverse variety of books. Word aware and vocabulary is a focus during all lessons; however, in the English lessons we make opportunities to link vocabulary to entomology, impact on the reader and how this influences our writing. Displays of writing in class and shared areas, giving a purpose and audience, encouraging pride in work and to show that work is valued. In line with the National Curriculum, we ensure that each year group is teaching the explicit grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives required for that age group.
We run a variety of information session for parents, including ‘Information in Phonics’ sessions for EYFS parents and carers, and ‘Reading and Writing across the School’ sessions for KS1 and KS2 Parents and Carers. At Oughton, we feel whole school reading and writing events throughout the year encourage and promote enjoyment and opportunities to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Progression of handwriting is taught and high expectations regarding presentation are instilled across all curriculum areas. All children in EYFS are taught to hold a pencil correctly and begin to form letters correctly. Key Stage One focuses on clear letter formation, with the expectation that Upper Key Stage Two join handwriting.
Please see our English Overview which highlights the units of work for each year group – Nursery to Year 6.
Impact
The impact on our children is clear: positive progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills. By the end of KS2, all of our children have made considerable progress from their starting points in EYFS.
Children:
- are confident writers, with most genres of writing familiar to them by the end of KS2.
- are creative writers with grammar, spelling and punctuation skills used correctly through a variety of genres.
- are confident in the art of speaking and listening, able to use discussion to communicate and further their learning.
- are able to read fluently both for pleasure and to further their learning.
- enjoy writing across a range of genres.
- have a wide vocabulary and be bold with vocabulary choices in their writing.
- have a good knowledge of how to adapt their writing for audience and context.
Children have the key skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for their next stage of learning.
We hope that as children move on from us to further their education and learning that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.
| English Overview EYFS to Year 6 |
| Phonics Overview Reception and Year 1 |