Reading and writing are essential elements of our curriculum, helping to connect subjects and making learning relevant and purposeful. Children are encouraged to explore, discuss and dramatise ideas, materials and  experiences, developing their speaking and listening skills. They collect vocabulary, experiment with sentence structure and refine ideas before  starting the writing process. Much of our writing is based on and around books so reading and writing are mutually supportive, as well as being subjects in their own right. Our main aim is to foster a  genuine love of books in all our children and equip them with phonic and other decoding skills so that they can access texts at an increasingly complex level as they progress through the school. We teach  phonics through the published scheme “Song of Sounds”, pioneered by colleague Head and Deputy Headteachers in West Sussex. We use a variety of reading schemes to give the children breadth and range of reading experience. These include Oxford Reading Tree and Read Write Inc.

Purpose of Study (taken from The Primary National Curriculum in England 2014 Key Stages 1&2 Framework)

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

 

Aims

The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. 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.

 

For further details please visit www.gov.uk/dfe/nationalcurriculum