Languages: English

English Curriculum Statement

Intent

At Paddock Wood Primary Academy we believe that a quality English curriculum should develop children’s love of reading, writing and discussion. One of our priorities is helping children read and develop their all-important comprehension skills. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and who can use discussion to communicate and further their learning.

We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge-base in Literacy, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. We believe that a secure basis in literacy skills is crucial to a high quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.

Implementation

These aims are embedded across our literacy lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum and framework, that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of quality texts and resources to motivate and inspire our children. Teachers also ensure that cross curricular links with concurrent topic work are woven into the programme of study.

The national curriculum for English aims 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.

At Paddock Wood Primary Academy we are overhauling the entire stock of children’s reading books through raising money through sponsored reads, as well as utilising the PTA efforts to run a Scholastic book fair to generate books for the school and encourage a love of reading for all children.

At Paddock Wood Primary Academy, we identify children who need support and provide intervention in the most effective and efficient way that we can. We run intervention reading groups and are fortunate to have parents and governors who come in regularly to hear children read. Most children on the SEND register have reading and comprehension as one of their targets. Teachers plan and teach English lessons which are differentiated to the particular needs of each child. We help each child maximise their potential by providing help and support where necessary whilst striving to make children independent workers once we have helped to equip them with the confidence, tools and strategies that they need.

We run parent information sessions on phonics for Year 1 parents, reading and SATs for Year 2 parents and a SATs meeting for Year 6 parents so that they understand age-related expectations. These sessions are always very well attended by parents and carers who often comment about how helpful the sessions have been for them.

Marking is rigorous in English and across the curriculum, with regular conferencing for children to respond and edit their writing to help children correct and consolidate their work. Regular English book scrutinies are carried out to check all teachers are following our marking policy.

We love to celebrate success of all learners and strive to help all children achieve their goals. Reading is celebrated in classrooms and around school at Paddock Wood Primary Academy, where our bright and colourful displays celebrate children’s writing, their favourite books and great examples of writing in our inquiry books demonstrating a fluid and cross curricular link to writing and reading. In addition, through the year we have LAT competitions such as a trust Spelling Bee, World Book Day, Sponsored Reads and a whole school love of reading.

Impact

The impact on our children is clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills demonstrated in our inquiry books, interlinking all our core ideas and lines of inquiry. With the implementation of the writing journey being well established and taught thoroughly in both key stages, children are becoming more confident writers and by the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.

Termly assessment is showing that most children at Paddock Wood Primary Academy are achieving in Literacy at age-related expectations. Each year we have children achieving at a greater depth in reading and writing at the end of KS1 and are working hard to emulate that at the end of KS2. We hope that all the new literacy initiatives outlined above will help to boost children’s learning and progress.

As all aspects of English are an integral part of the curriculum, cross curricular writing standards have also improved and skills taught in the English lesson are transferred into inquiries; this shows consolidation of skills and a deeper understanding of how and when to use specific grammar, punctuation and grammar objectives.

We hope that as children move on from Paddock Wood Primary Academy 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.

Paddock Wood Primary Academy : English Non - Negotiables

Reading

Children need to be given the regular opportunity to talk about reading and what they are reading.

High quality texts should support all learning and be available before, during and after inquiries for pupils to read. There are a list of texts which support the key concepts as well as the learner attributes.

Timetables should allow time for pupils to read for pleasure.

Children must have the opportunity to hear books, above their ‘level’, being read to them regularly - preferably daily - by an adult in each year group.

Opportunities for children to develop stamina for reading should be developed over the year.

Reading lessons to incorporate the whole class, small group and individual reading/learning.

Writing

Writing walls to show progress using pupil work.

GPaS skills to be explicitly taught but also linked, in context, to writing so that skills can be effectively applied.

Writing, over the course of a year, must evidence all areas of the curriculum through interleaving.

Modelled writing by pupils and adults to be available for student reference on working walls.

Modelled and shared writing sessions to be timetabled, when and where appropriate.

There is to be no ‘heavy scaffolding’. Writing must be independently created by all pupils.

Opportunities for children to develop stamina for writing should be developed over the year.

Writing needs to demonstrate a clear progression in skills and quality of content, as well as a visible editing process that highlights a child's ability to reflect, review and precise passages.

General

Displays/working walls must reflect current learning and give examples, in context, of effective spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Presentation of work must reflect a pupil’s best effort at all times.

Word mats and sound mats to be available to all pupils.

All adults in class to be purposefully deployed to ensure that all children progress in every lesson.

Common exception words to be displayed.

Pupils should know the next steps in their English work and be aware of clearly defined end goals in each year group.

Whilst appropriate cultural and colloquial language should be celebrated, the modelling of standard English should also be employed in all lessons to develop pupil lexicon.

Our English Strategy has support documents, key links and guidance: https://sites.google.com/paddockwoodprimaryacademy.org.uk/pwpaenglishstrategy2021/home