HERONSGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL English Policy Vision, Aims and Underlying Principles The study of English develops children s abilities to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes and ensures that they understand how to use language to learn and communicate ideas, views and feelings. It enables children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively, as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of a wide range of texts. Children gain an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Children use their knowledge, skills and understanding in reading, writing and communication across a range of engaging and purposeful situations. Our aims are aligned to the aims of the National Curriculum, to ensure that all pupils: read easily, 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 in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate Planning At Heronsgate, we use the National Curriculum Programme of Study alongside the Power of Reading scheme as the basis for implementing the statutory requirements for English. Teachers begin by identifying the core texts which they will study over the course of each half term, ensuring that these link to other curriculum areas where possible so that children are completely immersed in their topics. These texts are often selected from the Power of Reading scheme, but teachers may choose other texts if they offer rich learning opportunities. The teachers in the year group then decide how long they will spend on each text and use Pupil Asset to identify which National Curriculum objectives will be taught during the unit. Planning the three-phase model where pupils progress from reading into writing over the course of a unit, with speaking and listening being used as a bridge between the two to generate and refine their ideas for writing. In each unit teachers plan for one piece of incidental writing each week and a final writing outcome which they build up to over a number of weeks and which is often published. This information is mapped onto the half termly outline plan. These plans define what we teach and ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. Class teachers complete a weekly short-term plan for their English lessons. This lists the specific learning objectives for each lesson and gives details of how the lessons are to be taught. It also includes details of what each group of children will be learning and how it will be differentiated. Whole class word and sentence level work is outlined, as well as whole class shared reading and writing, including differentiated key questions that will be asked to assess children s prior learning and further develop their literacy skills. Focus group activities are planned to support and challenge children as required. Grammar is taught in the context of reading and writing, within English lessons. 1
Every class from Nursery to Year 6 has a role play area linked to a curriculum area being studied. This is used to develop pupils imagination, whilst at the same time improving their speaking and listening skills. In Key Stage 1 and 2 reading sessions take place five times a week. From Years 1 to 4, children take part in a carousel of reading activities each day, including teacher-led guided reading. In Years 5 and 6, most children take part in whole-class reading sessions. Children who cannot access these continue to be taught through guided reading sessions. Reading journals are used across the school to ensure that relevant and challenging comprehension activities are set on a weekly basis. Children take home a free choice book from their class library, which includes a selection of fiction and non-fiction. Children also take home a book banded book each week to ensure they are reading appropriately challenging texts. This selection of books includes texts aimed at boys interests and those with a low reading ability, but higher interest level. For the teaching of phonics, the school follows the Letters and Sounds programme to teach the objectives from the framework, in a systematic multi-sensory way each day. These sessions follow the review-teach-practise-apply sequence, introducing pupils to groups of phonemes and teaching them how to blend phonemes to read and segment phonemes to spell. The class teacher keeps these individual plans on display in the class room and then files them in their planning folder. Spelling from Year 2 to Year 6 is based on the No Nonsense Spelling programme, and is taught in Year 2 on a daily basis. In Key Stage 2 three sessions of spelling are taught each week. The importance of spelling is also highlighted during the English lessons through oral and written feedback. Children are regularly asked to edit and improve their writing, and are given time to check and improve their spellings, with the support of dictionaries where appropriate. Handwriting is an important part of the curriculum. Children in EYFS and KS1 are taught to use the unjoined continuous cursive script, developing to the joined continuous cursive script in Key Stage Two. Teachers model this at all times, including on displays, during modelled/shared writing and when they mark children s work. The Early Years Foundation Stage The statutory framework in England and Wales emphasises the fundamental importance of developing communication, language and literacy skills in the Early Years. At Heronsgate, our aim is to develop these skills by considering the individual needs of the children, planning challenging and enjoyable language and literacy rich experiences through our provision and a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. These areas of the curriculum are made up of several aspects: One to one and guided reading Shared reading Guided writing Handwriting Role play and drama Language for communicating and thinking Linking Sounds and Letters Teaching objectives are taken from the birth to five Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and the Letters and Sounds synthetic phonics program. We give all children the opportunity to talk and communicate in a widening range of situations, to respond to adults and to each other, to listen carefully, and to practise and extend their range of vocabulary and communication skills. They have the opportunity to explore, enjoy, learn about, and use words and text in a range of situations, both indoors and out. Planning is based on half termly cross-curricular themes, with linked core books each week. Nursery children are taught phase one phonics in groups and those who are ready move on to phase 2. Reception children receive phonics session every day as a whole class, as well as a guided reading and writing session at least once a week in a small group. 2
Inclusion As a fully inclusive school, there are children of differing ability in all classes. We recognise this fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this through a range of strategies. In some lessons we do it through differentiated group work, while in other lessons we ask children to work from the same starting point before moving on to develop their own ideas. Writing frames, word lists and success criteria are just some of the tools used to scaffold, support and challenge children appropriately. Teaching Assistants are deployed in each year group to work with groups of children. Teachers provide learning opportunities matched to the needs of children with learning difficulties. Work in English takes into account the targets set for individual children. Teachers provide help with communication and literacy through: using texts that children can read and understand; using visual and written materials in different formats; using ICT, other technological aids and recorded materials; using alternative communication such as signs and symbols; using translators. For identified pupils the Special Needs Co-ordinator and Phase Leaders also arrange: speech and language groups; teaching assistants to work with individuals or small groups to run provision map groups, short-term targeted intervention, which aims to accelerate progress for the selected children; a Learning Support Assistant to work with small groups or individuals to use Wave 3 English materials; teaching assistants to work with small groups on areas of phonics, following the Letters and Sounds programme; teaching assistants and parent readers to work with identified individuals on a one-to-one basis individualised literacy programmes. Children with English as an additional language are supported in class, using strategies detailed in the English as an Additional Language and Ethnic Minority Achievement Policy. ICT ICT is used to enhance learning in English in a variety of ways. Children are able to record and evaluate speaking and listening activities using ipads. Children use the internet when finding for information about a different part of the world or famous author, with older children using search tools to find relevant information. They use publishing apps to design items like newspaper articles or leaflets, applying what they have learnt about the structural features of these texts. Children create multi-media texts such as e-books and imovies. A range of different media are used by teachers in lessons to stimulate ideas, including music, videos, images and films. Assessment Teachers assess children s learning throughout their lessons by; sharing the learning objectives with the children, developing success criteria with the class for them to assess themselves against, providing oral and written feedback to children and identifying their next steps and how to take them, setting reading and writing targets each term and reviewing children s progress against these targets weekly, asking a range of open and closed questions, planning peer and self assessment activities, 3
carrying out whole class show me activities, etc. These daily formative assessments inform immediate and subsequent teaching and learning. Teachers are expected to mark regularly and to provide developmental next step marking at least once a week. The majority of the time, this will address an area of the success criteria the child has not met. Where a child has fully met their success criteria, the next step will challenge them to apply another skill or explain and evaluate the purpose and effect of a particular element of their writing. Spellings are set and tested on a weekly basis. Teachers feed this information back to parents at parents evening, or earlier where there are concerns. Teachers assess pupils termly to identify progress and attainment. Their judgements are moderated through staff meetings. The English team provide each year group with a portfolio of assessed work samples to support teachers in moderating pupil s work, to ensure continuity across the school. Teacher assessments are recorded on Pupil Asset. Teachers are then able to analyse this data to inform future planning and set termly targets for reading and writing. Progress meetings are held with class teachers after each assessment week, to discuss the progress of the class, groups of pupils and individuals. Target groups are identified and actions carried out to further increase the rate of progress and pupil attainment. This may include setting up provision-map groups short, term targeted groups which aim to accelerate pupil progress. Pupils are formally assessed at the end of EYFS, Year 2 and Year 6. Children in Year 1 complete the Phonics check. Those who fail to pass receive further support and are re-tested in Year 2. Optional tests are used in Years 3, 4 and 5 as a form of summative assessment. Resources There are a range of resources to support the teaching of English across the school. All classrooms have dictionaries, thesauruses, pupil whiteboards and a range of age-appropriate small apparatus. All classrooms have a selection of fiction and non-fiction texts and children choose one of these texts to take home each week. Each year group also has a wide selection of book-banded books for children to take home. Every classroom has a role play area which is used on a daily basis. In EYFS and Key Stage 1, ipads are shared between a year group and used regularly. In Key Stage 2, children are provided with their own ipad for use in school. There is one English Resource Room, which contains a range of big books, guided reading packs, role play boxes, drama props, masks, puppets, etc. Guided reading packs are labelled with a colour band so books can be selected at the appropriate reading level for a group of children. These books focus on particular phases of phonics, so books can be chosen to focus on a particular phoneme for use with groups led by the teacher or intervention groups working with teaching assistants. For Key Stage 2 there are a range of fiction and non-fiction guided reading books which are separated into year groups. Parents We believe that a strong partnership with parents is essential to support their child s development in literacy. We promote a positive home-school partnership in a number of ways: Asking parents to read regularly with their child at home and use Reading Champions record books so that they can communicate with their child s teacher about their child s reading Awarding Reading Champions certificates which are sent home in Years 1 to 6 to reward dedication to reading 4
Delivering parent workshops for Reception, KS1 and KS2 which provide resources and ideas for how parents can support their children with phonics and reading EYFS Stay and read sessions Involving parent volunteers - we invite parents to come in and hear children read on a oneto-one basis Sharing information about English across the school through newsletters, half termly class information letters and displays Setting home learning in line with our homework policy Holding termly Book Fairs Organising Book Week, which includes opportunities for parents to come in to school and join in with a range of activities Monitoring and review Monitoring of the standards of the children s work, planning and of the quality of teaching in English is the responsibility of the English Team. The work of the team also involves supporting colleagues in the teaching of English. This may include providing demonstration lessons, supporting with planning, visiting other schools and delivering staff training. The team ensure they are informed about current developments in the subject, and provide a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. The team s work is drawn up in the form of an action plan, which is based on the priorities identified in the school improvement plan. This is reviewed termly. The team aim to deliver INSET once each term, to evaluate and refine current practise, update staff on new initiatives, develop subject knowledge and inspire and enable colleagues to offer a rich and exciting curriculum which enables all children to succeed. Policy Agreed by: Policy Date: September 2017 Review Date: September 2019 5