Tel: 0191 4334140 Fax: 01914334141 |
Head Teacher: Mrs D Hewitson |
Literacy and English
Although English features prominently in all curriculum areas, it is also taught as a separate subject comprising many skills, or it may be the focus for a topic. In speaking and listening, children are encouraged to listen attentively and to respect the views of others in a discussion, while being sufficiently confident to offer their own ideas, observations and opinions. Our children are provided with a wide range of situations and activities designed to develop their ability to communicate clearly and effectively in a variety of groupings.
In reading, children are encouraged to enjoy books by listening and responding to stories and poems, chosen from the class or school library. They are taught to read using a combination of phonetic and visual strategies, to promote reading fluency and understanding. Although a wide range of reading schemes is available, children also have ready access to a wealth of reading material, both fiction and non-fiction. Shared, group and individual reading, combined with a rich literary environment, facilitate progression from lower to higher order reading skills and reading independence. Children are encouraged to read for enjoyment and information and to critically evaluate the books they select.
Wherever possible, authors, theatre companies and visiting specialists (as shown above) are invited to enrich the drama and literacy curriculum. In written English, the children are given opportunities at an early stage, to write unaided as well as with teacher support. They are taught to consider the purpose of their writing and its intended audience. The children are provided with a range of activities to enable them to write in different contexts for a variety of purposes and audiences. In this way they can more easily assimilate the conventions of written language as distinct from spoken language. Once they have achieved a degree of independence, they are taught to edit and re-draft their work, with word processing featuring significantly in the acquisition of these skills.
The children are taught correct letter formation from Reception and are encouraged to use a joined style to improve their writing fluency. Spelling is taught using a combination of visual and phonetic strategies and is regularly assessed. Children learn to use a wide range of punctuation accurately. Dictionary, thesaurus and reference skills are introduced at the appropriate stages. Wherever possible authors and visiting theatre companies are used to enhance and enrich the provision and to stimulate the children to write themselves.
The Literacy Strategy is used as the basis for most of the work in English. It is a government document, which was introduced to improve basic skills in writing, spelling and reading. The class Literacy work is normally based around a range of texts. Wherever possible extended writing, which is taught outside Literacy lessons, is linked to the genre or text type selected as shown in the following section.
Texts |
Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
Year 1 Fiction |
Stories with familiar settings. Stories and rhymes with predictable and repetitive patterns. |
Traditional stories and rhymes. Fairy stories. Stories and poems with familiar, predictable and patterned language from a range of cultures. |
Stories about fantasy worlds. Poems with patterned and predictable structures. A variety of poems on similar themes. |
Non-fiction |
Signs, labels, captions, lists, instructions. |
Information texts including non-chronological reports. Simple dictionaries. |
Information texts including recounts of observations, visits, events. |
Year 2 Fiction |
Stories and a variety of poems with familiar settings. |
Traditional stories; stories/ poems from other cultures. Stories and poems. Poems by significant children's poets. |
Extended stories. Stories by significant children's authors. Different stories by the same author. |
Non-fiction |
Instructions. |
Dictionaries, glossaries, indexes, alphabetically ordered texts. Explanations. |
Information texts. |
Year 3 Fiction |
Stories with familiar settings. Plays. Poems based on observation. Shape poems. |
Myths, legends, fables and parables. Traditional stories with related themes. Oral performance poetry. |
Adventure and mystery stories. Stories by the same author. Humorous poetry/ poetry with language play. |
Non-fiction |
Information texts. Non-chronological reports, thesaurus, dictionaries. |
Instructions. Dictionaries without illustration, thesaurus |
Letters written for a range of purposes.
|
Year 4 Fiction |
Historical stories and short novels. Play scripts. Poems based on common themes. |
Stories/novels about imagined worlds. Stories in series. Classic and modern poetry. |
Stories/short novels that raise issues. Stories by the same author/from other cultures. |
Non-fiction |
A range of text types from reports and articles. Instructions. |
Information texts on same or similar themes. Explanations. |
Persuasive writing. Discussion texts. Information texts. |
Year 5 Fiction |
Novels, stories and poems by significant children's writers. Play scripts. Concrete poetry. |
Traditional stories, myths, legends, fables from a range of cultures. Longer classical poetry, including narrative poetry. |
Novels, stories and poems from a range cultures and traditions. Choral and performance poetry. |
Non-fiction |
Recounts, observational records, news reports. Instructional texts, recipes, directions, instructions. |
Non-chronological reports. Explanation of processes, systems and operations.
|
Persuasive writing. Dictionaries, thesauri, including ICT sources. |
Year 6 Fiction |
Classic fiction, poetry and drama by long established authors inc. Shakespeare. Adaptations of classics on film and TV. |
Longer established stories and novels from more than one genre. Range of poetic forms. |
Comparison of work by significant children's authors and poets. |
Non-fiction |
Autobiography, biographies, diaries, journals, letters, anecdotes, records. Journalistic writing. Non-chronological reports. |
Discussion texts. Formal writing, notices, public information documents. |
Linked to other subjects. Non-chronological reports. Use of reference texts. |