English
We are in school to Acquire the knowledge and skills that will allow us to Achieve our aims and go on to what we Aspire to do.
English Intent
Our aspiration for every learner (intent):
At Nanaksar Primary School, Reading and Writing is at the core of our curriculum and is embedded across all subject areas. Our English curriculum develops pupils’ love of reading and writing by allowing them to build upon skills and knowledge that will enable them to communicate effectively and creatively through spoken and written language while facilitating them with the skills to become successful individuals.
Literacy is a fundamental life skill and proficiency in English enables pupils to communicate effectively at home, school and in the wider world. We want our pupils to develop a secure knowledge-base in Literacy, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. The skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing facilitate our pupils to effectively organise and express their own thoughts in an articulate manner, in a range of real-life situations. These skills are interlinked with one another while still being valued as separate entities, and are embedded across our curriculum.
Through the English curriculum, we have high aspirations for pupils to develop the attributes needed to enable them to communicate effectively and creatively through spoken and written language; facilitating them with the skills to become lifelong learners.
At Nanaksar Primary School, we adopt a text-based approach to writing following the Power of Reading scheme, whilst also selecting texts that cater to the needs and interests of our pupils, incorporating lessons that are interactive, collaborative and varied. Our pupils get a chance to express themselves not only through their writing, but also through fun-filled activities such as drama and role play. It is imperative that we explicitly teach the grammar skills needed to ensure that pupils meet their end of year objectives whilst exploring a range of genres and text types.
Our Reading curriculum strives to foster a lifelong love of reading. This curriculum is delivered through synthetic phonics, a linked approach to shared and guided reading, home reading, reading across the curriculum, regular opportunities for independent reading and hearing quality texts read aloud every day. All of these are essential components as they offer the range of opportunities needed to develop fluent, enthusiastic and critical readers.
We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where pupils take pride in their reading and writing, where a secure basis in literacy skills is crucial in equipping our pupils with the tools they need to fulfil their potential.
National Curriculum Objectives
Speaking and Listening
National Curriculum Objectives:
- to speak clearly, fluently and confidently to a range of audiences
- to listen to, understand and respond to other people
- to join in group discussions
- to participate in a range of drama and role-play activities
The National Curriculum for English reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development which underpins the development of reading and writing across the whole curriculum. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing.
At Nanaksar Primary School, pupils are taught to develop their competence in spoken language and listening to enhance the effectiveness of their communication across a range of contexts and to a range of audiences. They have opportunities to work in groups of different sizes – in pairs, small groups, large groups and as a whole class. Pupils understand how to take turns and when and how to participate constructively in conversations and debates.
Writing
National Curriculum Objectives:
- to develop writing skills through planning, composing and editing
- to use punctuation and grammar correctly
- to create sentences and texts
- to use a range of spelling strategies
- to understand text structure and organisation
- to have an awareness of audience and purpose thus adapt writing appropriately
- to write legibly and fluently
- to understand and use Standard English
At Nanaksar Primary School, we adopt a text-based approach to writing following the Power of Reading scheme, incorporating lessons that are interactive, collaborative and varied. Our pupils get a chance to express themselves not only through their writing, but also through fun-filled activities such as drama and role play. It is imperative that we explicitly teach the grammar skills needed to ensure that children meet their end of year objectives whilst exploring a range of genres and text types. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where pupils take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts and audiences. A secure basis in literacy skills is crucial to a high quality education and we equip our pupils with the tools they need to fulfil their potential.
Handwriting
National Curriculum Objectives:
Pupils should be able to:
- sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly
- begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place
- form capital letters
- form digits 0-9
- understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (ie letters that are formed in similar ways) and to practise these
It is our aim that every child develops a fluent, legible style of handwriting. Capital and lowercase letters should be used appropriately and the letter size should be consistent. We teach Kingston Cursive Handwriting which provides a clear, practical framework for implementing and developing a whole-school handwriting policy.
Reading
National Curriculum Objectives:
- to read with fluency, accuracy and understanding, using a range of strategies
- To develop a love for reading and read for pleasure
- to read to obtain information and further their own understanding in an area/topic
- to understand, interpret and appreciate literary and non-fiction texts
Reading is a high priority in our book-led English curriculum and through teachers' choice of high quality texts, we develop a love of reading and allow pupils to recognise the pleasure they can get from it. In weekly Guided Reading lessons, we aim to provide pupils with the skills to decode and comprehend what they read through effective questioning linking to the National Curriculum objectives. Children begin to understand that reading provides opportunities to: discover new knowledge, further their learning, ignite their imagination, and understand more about the world around them.
It is essential that children read daily at home choosing books they can read independently, from a variety of genres, including fiction and non-fiction.
For age appropriate recommendations please click the following links:
https://images.scholastic.co.uk/assets/a/9f/bc/pie-corbett-with-page-no-1393983.pdf
https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/
