Intent

At Murdishaw West Primary School, our primary aim is to increase children’s confidence, enjoyment and ability in reading, writing and communication. We ensure that we provide all children with depth, breadth and ambition in their learning – ensuring that our curriculum is well sequenced and building on knowledge and skills gained as children progress through school. We promote a love of reading and writing whereby children want to read and write spontaneously with enjoyment. We strive for our children to develop a passion for English to aid them in later life and to enable them to become lifelong learners.

 

Our intent is to enable children to:

• Read easily, fluently and with good understanding

• Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information

• 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

• Develop a love of writing and to be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through the written word.

• Re-read, edit and improve their own writing

• Confidently use the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and spelling

• Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language

• Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and clearly explain their understanding and ideas

• Become competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

 

Implementation

We ensure that our English teaching and learning provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of experiences, quality texts and resources to motivate and inspire our children. All pupils receive a daily English lesson. Teachers also ensure that cross curricular links with concurrent topic work are woven into the programme of study.

• Teachers create a positive reading and writing culture in school, where both are promoted, enjoyed and considered ‘a pleasure’ for all pupils.

• We follow the Pathways to Write programme from EYFS to Year 6.

• Promotion of reading through teachers reading out loud regularly to their class.

• We follow the Pathways to Read programme from Year 1 to 6.

• Pupils in EYFS and KS1 to have daily phonics sessions, following Essential Letters & Sounds.

• Year 1-6, to use the Spelling Shed Spelling scheme.

• Age-appropriate spellings sent home weekly for pupils to practise their words and to write a sentence containing each word at home. Tested each Friday.

• Whole class reading session, small group and individuals reading in all year groups

• Pupils are being adventurous with vocabulary choices.

• Pupils to acquire strategies to enable them to become independent learners in English (spelling rules and patterns and how to tackle unfamiliar words when reading).

• Pupils to discuss and to present their ideas to each other by talking, being able to elaborate and explain themselves clearly, make presentations and participate in debates.

• Working Walls in all classes aide pupils learning and guide them through the process of Reading and Analysing, Gathering Content, Planning and Writing.

• Vocabulary promoted through displays in class, all curriculum areas, enhancing and encouraging a wider use of vocabulary.

• Vocabulary & knowledge mats to be used where needed and thesauruses and dictionaries which are easily accessible for pupils to use.

• Teaching a range of genres across the school (progressing in difficulty) both in English and other curriculum areas; resulting in pupils being exposed to, and knowledgeable about, literary styles, authors and genres. They can express preferences and give opinions, supported by evidence, about different texts.

• Displays of writing, in class, shared areas and on the school website, giving a purpose and audience, to encourage pride in work and to show that work is valued

• Reading and writing events (throughout the year) to encourage and promote enjoyment and opportunities to develop lifelong learning.

Writing Year Group Overviews

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