We use the National Curriculum as a basis for developing the children’s reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The children undertake a daily dedicated English lesson. However, at Ox Close Primary, we see English teaching as something that must be, and is, embedded across all lessons and activities across the day. From speaking clearly and articulately around school, to writing at length as part of a topic lesson.
There is also an emphasis on giving children the technical knowledge and language through which they can discuss and improve their work, helping them to become reflective and proactive learners. From Year 2, they are explicitly taught grammar terminology and spelling rules, and we have a strong emphasis on the home-school link to support spelling development.
Long Term Plan for English
Please find below our Long Term Plan for English in 2018 – 2019:
Reading throughout the school
Children in our school spend lots of time reading. Throughout the week, all classes from Year 1 onwards enjoy a dedicated reading sessions, during which time children are both taught to read, and have the opportunity to read for pleasure. All rooms have reading areas, which support this aspect of our curriculum. As such, children have access to a wide variety of books in their classrooms and in the Library.
Phonics
Daily phonics teaching also takes place across EYFS and Key Stage 1, and for some junior children if required. Children are taught in focussed groups using key aspects of the Read, Write Inc scheme.
To find out more about Read, Write, Inc please click here.
Accelerated Reader
At Ox Close, children in Key Stage 2 all access Accelerated Reader as our reading scheme. The children all regularly borrow books from the library, take quizzes on them and progress through the reading scheme. The children all take a reading test to determine their reading ability at the beginning of each year. They are then given a ‘reading range’ and this tells them the area of the library that they can borrow books from. The range given is matched to their reading ability so that they choose books that they can read comfortably or provide more of a challenge. The scores children receive from the quizzes they take are monitored by class teachers. When they are regularly passing quizzes for the level they are on, the teacher gives them permission to move up a level.
We occasionally add children from Key Stage One on to Accelerated Reader when we feel they are ready to access it.
Writing
Across the Key Stages, children are taught writing through a genre based approach. Over the year, teachers choose a selection of engaging novels or non-fictions texts and plan units of work around them. We carefully plan for progression in the genre ensuring that the children are immersed in a variety of texts from that genre, have time to learn, practise and apply language skills before writing the genre independently.
This approach provides opportunities for children to appreciate and discuss a range of literature whilst reading and writing regularly for a purpose. It really engages the children and creates a buzz around their English work. Where appropriate, novels are linked to termly topics in order to immerse children fully into a cohesively planned unit of work.
Look at the link below which detail the National Curriculum by Year Group for English:
National Curriculum for English
If you require any more information about how we teach English in school then please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher or Mrs Bowman and Mrs Harvey our English leads.