English

Intent:

Children leave school with a love of reading. They can communicate competently through written and spoken language for a range of audiences and purposes.

In order to achieve this aim, the teaching of English, in all of its forms, has a high profile within the school. We follow the National Curriculum for English ensuring 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

are competent in the arts of speaking and listening.

Implementation:

At Rood End Primary School, we recognise that pupils need to practise reading daily in order to become proficient. Pupils are placed on a book band that is appropriate to their current reading attainment. Pupils accessing phonics teaching will receive reading books linked to the phonics scheme and sounds they have been taught. 

The school provides a wide variety of high quality resources to support the teaching of reading through access to classroom reading books, children’s newspapers, magazines and audio books. The school subscribes to an online Reading Plus program used in upper Key Stage Two.

Pupils who can confidently decode will have comprehension sessions using texts that link to our English overview. Each lesson will have a specific reading skills focus including: retrieval, inference, sequencing, analysing author's use of language, comparing and word meaning. 

The school uses quality texts to support our English curriculum.   https://www.roodend.sandwell.sch.uk/what-texts-do-we-read-in-school

Over the course of an English unit, pupils will analyse the text and language features. They will then be taught grammar-based skills in context and apply that knowledge to clearly defined written outcomes.To support oral retelling and structuring written work, Talk for Writing techniques may be used.

Example: Y3 Explanation – Outcome:  simple explanation about how volcanoes erupt

1. Hook – Practical and visual demonstration how a volcano erupts
2. Text layout/language features - Analysis of layout features – how the text looks
3. Grammar in context - Vanishing cloze – focus on present tense
4. Grammar in context Conjunctions – match main and subordinate clause and causal conjunctions
5. Grammar in context Past- present tense change
6. Grammar in context Adverbial (manner) – tell how the volcano changes
7. Draft and edit - title and introduction 
8. Draft and edit first half of the explanation
9. Draft and edit second half of the explanation
10. Publish  

To support application of knowledge, pupils have Free Writing lessons. Free Writing is fiction-based. Over time, we want to encourage a range of fictional genres and elements of a story. 

Spelling is taught and assessed weekly linked to our phonics programme or spelling expectations from the National Curriculum. Pupils are given words to learn using a 7:3 ratio – seven words following a spelling pattern or spelling rule and three words from their year group word lists.

Handwriting is taught using the PenPals scheme. 

Impact:

Throughout the school, pupils’ knowledge and skills are assessed through a combination of daily assessment for learning and more formal summative assessments. When undertaking 1:1 reading, staff will assess decoding and comprehension. Written outcomes will be used in termly moderation meetings. Summative testing, through NFER and SATs materials, are used to benchmark pupils’ knowledge against age-related standards.

Children will leave Rood End Primary with the knowledge and skills to be able to access the Key Stage Three curriculum. They read for pleasure and have a good understanding of a range of authors. Pupils will write clearly and coherently for a range of audiences. They speak confidently in a range of contexts and make valuable contributions to both school and their wider community.