In studying English, pupils develop skills in spoken language (oracy), reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Literacy skills are applied across the curriculum and wherever possible, strong links are made between subjects.

​

Intent

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.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and study
• 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 oracy skills 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.

READ WRITE INC PHONICS

​

At Holy Trinity we follow the Read Write Inc approach to teaching Reading and Phonics, supplemented with additional reading materials. 

The Read Write Inc programme gets children off to a flying start with their literacy. Read Write Inc is a method of learning centred round letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children in their reading and writing.

Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.

Using Read Write Inc, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write.

Our approach is systematic, consistent and rigorous in order that all children become readers as quickly as possible.

Pupils are taught in ability groups across EYFS and lower key stage 1 thus enabling them to be taught according to their reading level not their age. Teaching is very precise and tailored to the needs of each child.

The alphabetic code is taught first with children learning new sounds and practising pronouncing and blending these sounds on a daily basis. Simple mnemonics help the children grasp the letter sounds quickly. Then we match the sounds pupils know to the books they read, getting children to read those books a few times which helps them to read using a storyteller’s voice. Additionally children hear lots of other stories in school thus increasing their story knowledge and vocabulary.

READING ACROSS THE SCHOOL

​

Pupils read widely across the curriculum. The school has a well-stocked library which the children can use on a regular basis. There will continue to be additional opportunities for the children to enjoy the library at the after school library club. There are also a wide range of reading books in each classroom. The school has a rigorous approach to the teaching of reading – including the use of the scheme 'Read Write Inc' in EYFS/KS1 and additional guided reading across the whole school. 

Annual Reading Events and visits to libraries inspire a love of reading and literature in our children. We love to take part in events such as World Book Day, Roald Dahl Day and Readathons.

We believe it is very important for the children to enjoy reading and we have based our curriculum on quality children's literature. Key Stage 2 children study a class novel  which links to the overall topic. For example, as part of the Year 6 topic on World war 2, the children read and study ‘Friend or Foe’ by Michael Morpurgo and in Year 3 and 4 the pupils read and study 'Stone Age Boy' by Satoshi Kitamura as part of their topic on The Stone Age. We ensure that the books studied in school reflect the diverse world in which we live. The protagonists are from diverse races and cultures so that our pupils are able to develop their cultural understanding through reading as well as through the wider curriculum. 

During KS1, pupils will increase their fluency by learning to read words easily and automatically; this includes words which use common graphemes in addition to exception words. They will learn to retell familiar stories in addition to listening to and discussing a wide range of stories, poems, plays and information books. In KS2, we will continue to emphasise pupils’ enjoyment and understanding of language, especially vocabulary, to support their reading. Pupils’ knowledge of language, gained from stories, plays, poetry, non-fiction and textbooks, will support their increasing fluency as readers.

HOME READING

​

In the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, the children learn to read using the Read Write Inc. phonics scheme. Children take home a pre-read RWI book from the colour group they are working in along with a RWI Book Bag of the same colour. In KS2, children take home a reading book that is within their book band colour. Additionally, children in all classes usually take home a book from our school library which is changed weekly.  Once a child moves beyond Book Bands, they will select a book from our extensive collection of novels and non-fiction books from our school library.

​

Spoken Language (Oracy)

​

Pupils are taught to develop their competence in spoken language and listening to enhance the effectiveness with which they are able to communicate across a range of contexts and to a range of audiences. They are taught to understand how to take turns and when and how to participate constructively in conversations and debates. Attention is also paid to increasing our pupils’ vocabulary, ranging from describing their immediate world and feelings to developing a broader, deeper and richer vocabulary to discuss abstract concepts and a wider range of topics. Our Reading Lead is currently leading an oracy project throughout school. 

SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR​

​

Pupils are shown how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use, figurative language. They are shown how to work out and clarify the meanings of unknown words and words with more than one meaning.

​Pupils are taught to control their speaking and writing consciously and to use Standard English. They are taught to use the elements of spelling, grammar, punctuation and ‘language about language’ listed in the National Curriculum 2014. Pupils are taught the vocabulary they need to discuss their reading, writing and spoken language. They will learn the correct grammatical terms in English.

WRITING

​

During Key Stage 1, pupils encode the sounds they hear in words (spelling skills), develop the physical skill needed for handwriting, and learn how to organise their ideas in writing.

They will be encouraged to develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing. During Key Stage 2, pupils develop the understanding that writing is both essential to thinking and learning, and enjoyable in its own right.

They start to explore how the English language can be used to express meaning in different ways. They use the planning, drafting and editing process to improve their work and to sustain their fiction and non-fiction writing.  The children will also learn to write consistently with neat, legible and joined handwriting with the correct grammar and spellings.