English

EYFS

Communication & Language

The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

Literacy

It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing).

National Curriculum

Purpose of study

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

Here at Rift House Primary School we aim to create a climate of curiosity and enthusiasm through questioning that encourages and nurtures a thirst for knowledge for our pupils now and beyond. 

Aims

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 language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• 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 discussion 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

Curriculum Summary

As a school we understand that our English curriculum approach must enable our pupils to develop competency and confidence in reading, writing and spoken language and that, throughout, we must create carefully sequenced opportunities that will ensure continual progression and readiness for further challenges within the primary curriculum and beyond into KS3.

In the Early Years, starting from our 2 year old provision through to Reception, staff make use of the non-statutory guidance within Birth to Five Matters whilst ensuring the statutory framework for the EYFS is met. Reception children are assessed against the appropriate Early Learning Goals which contributes to them reaching a good level of development. Our Nursery, Reception, Year One and Year Two children also make use of the Read, Write, Inc. systematic synthetic phonics programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. The programme is designed for children aged 4-7. However, as stated, here at Rift House Primary School we begin the programme in Nursery and will continue teaching Read, Write, Inc. to children beyond the age of 7 if they still need support in their reading. This may be delivered in bespoke sessions called Fast Track and Fresh Start - this is because our early readers (regardless of age/cohort) will always focus on gaining and developing these skills first within our setting.

There are initial bridging programmes and units such as Talk Through Stories and Read, Write, Inc. Comprehension that support transition, as well as a bespoke approach in Year Three and Year Four, that support our pupils in making the transition from early readers and on to Our Reading Approach at KS2. This curriculum approach has been designed by our staff in order to ensure that our pupils have a carefully sequenced approach to systematically experiencing and acquiring concepts and models which build upon, and further extend, knowledge and skills across Reading, Writing and Spoken Language. We recognise the need to be flexible and have in-built systems that allow for necessary adjustments to our approaches, so those pupils behind age-related expectations or working at greater depth are provided with the opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for them to catch up and/or keep up with their peers and access the appropriate support or level of challenge. 

We recognise that identifying key foundational knowledge for pupils in the early stages of learning is integral to their success in gaining essential skills in reading comprehension as well as written and oral composition. This will then be further extended as pupils are prepared for the acquisition of more specific knowledge by the end of KS2 and in readiness for KS3.

As a school we acknowledge that, for our pupils, their underpinning knowledge of the English curriculum is essential in ensuring they make the most of the ambitious challenges that we provide. As such, our pupils need explicit explanations, consistent reinforcement, guided practice and the provision of worked examples within their study. Our teaching takes careful consideration of best practice pedagogical approaches in reading, writing, grammar and spoken language and we make sure that the teaching of this knowledge and embedding of these skills is a gradual, measured and carefully sequenced process. We do this through modelling, using quality exemplification, providing a range of effective feedback and ensuring that considered discussion is central to our approach.

We have worked hard to ensure that there are increasingly complex opportunities for pupils to demonstrate self-regulation, critical thinking and other meta-cognitive skills through our focus on questioning and our belief that continually activating relevant prior knowledge will embed knowledge and skills for our pupils, enabling them to meet the challenges of the curriculum throughout their time in primary education and beyond into KS3.

Progression in English

Reading Progression of Skills Document

Writing Progression of Skills Document

Spoken Language Progression of Skills Document

Early Reading & Phonics

As a school, we recognise and fully invest in the effectiveness of systematic synthetic phonics teaching, well aware of the research and evidence that supports this approach. The teaching of phonics is therefore fundamental to successful early reading within our school, empowering and enabling our children to succeed. As such, we have invested in training each and every member of our staff in the effective delivery of phonics, ensuring that everyone is an expert. Our English team consistently meet to discuss how phonics is delivered, assessed and embedded within our school.

In our Early Years and KS1 provision we teach every child to read with Read, Write, Inc. This is a complete Systematic Synthetic Phonics literacy programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. The programme is designed for children aged 4-7. However, at Rift House Primary School we begin the programme in Nursery and will continue teaching RWI to children beyond the age of 7 if they still need support in their reading. This may be delivered in bespoke intervention and catch-up programmes called “Fast Track” and “Fresh Start” – more information can be found on this in our “How we support pupils in our English curriculum approach” section.

As a school, we acknowledge that initially focusing on the accuracy, automaticity and prosody of a child’s reading is essential to easing the cognitive load that can occur when encountering and processing new vocabulary or comprehending a text. As a result, our early readers (regardless of age/cohort) will always focus on gaining and developing these skills first within our setting.

Weblinks

As a school we celebrate World Book Day every year in March and thoroughly enjoy taking part in a range of activities which help to promote a love for reading across our school. 

Another popular recommendation is Oxford Owl. Once parents have created a free account, readers can access a host of books. The books are available to filter by age group, text type, book band, phonics phase or reading level. 

A particular favourite is Books For Topics which has a range of exciting books linked to topics and units that we will be covering in each class across the year. 

One charity aims to get children reading. Each year, The Book Trust reaches 3.9 million children across the UK with books, resources and support to help develop a love of reading, from ages 0 to 16 but with a focus on early years.

Another charity, the  National Literacy Trust, campaigns to make literacy a priority for politicians and parents, supports children and families to improve their literacy skills and conducts research on issues relating to literacy.

Love Reading 4 Kids is one of the biggest and best recommendation site for children's books. Their passion for children's books ranges from toddlers to teens and ensures that whatever the age, whatever the interest, that you have a steady stream of brilliant book recommendations for your child.

With Storytime Online, the QR codes and links in the document link to story readings on Youtube and all of the books chosen are read aloud by their fabulous authors and illustrators.

Online magazines that are updated often are the Aquila Magazine and the Whizz Pop Bang Magazine. These keeps children up to date with current events. 

Walk Around School

One of the experiences that made us all exceptionally proud that day was the way in which our Year 6 children supported and nurtured that love for reading in the hearts and minds of our Year 3 pupils. Our ethos at Rift House is that all here are reading role models. And we all have the power to inspire those around us when we find a book that sparks something special inside.

See if you can spot our Year 6 pupils kindling that pleasure for reading in our slideshow below. 

Our Library & Wellbeing Space

We believe that a central library should be the heart of a school; a place in which our pupils feel welcomed, enriched and inspired. A place where each child is appreciated for their unique tastes and has the opportunity to find material that will feed their hunger for knowledge and allow them to unlock a world of discovery. In our ongoing endeavour to achieve this, we have invested substantially in our library stock, listening to the desires our pupils and ensuring that they have the opportunity to access books and authors that ignite a love of reading. 

We are also proud to have a Wellbeing Space for our pupils, providing them with a safe space in which they can explore, read and discuss a range of PSHE books and materials that support them in understanding the world around them and giving them the opportunity to share their thoughts with a member of our Wellbeing Team.  

Our Classroom Libraries - Enriching Our Curriculum

If the central library of our school is the heart then our classroom libraries are the pulse that ensures learning is always enriched by a breadth and depth of reading materials. We have invested a great deal of care into curating the best range of texts possible that will complement the learning journeys of our pupils and immerse them in their foundation subjects. Each classroom has a well-stocked library that possesses a range of unit specific texts, allowing pupils to further develop their knowledge. These texts range from graphic novels and beautifully crafted picture books, to best-selling fiction and non-fiction texts bursting with source materials. 

Below is an example of how our classroom libraries complement the learning of pupils. Year 5 have been exploring the Anglo-Saxons. But they haven't just proudly displayed these texts. Pupils have been able to access these texts throughout the unit, extending their knowledge and being able to really deepen their understanding of the period through guided and independent exploration. 

Each week we hold whole school reading assemblies where we celebrate the achievements of children in their reading throughout the respective classes. It is crucial that we foster and nurture a love of reading and, as such, we award these certificates for a range of achievements including contextual successes, reading at home, overcoming barriers, enthusiasm for reading, excellent work, etc. During each assembly we also award a book to those children who have received a certificate, further ensuring our pupils have access to new, diverse and exciting authors and titles.

It is our strongly held belief that every child has the right to read and to access materials that will help them in acquiring the knowledge they need to aspire. At Rift House we strive to embed reading in every aspect of learning and continually raise its profile within the setting and the local community. As a learning community, we endeavour to promote equity through literacy, creating opportunities to explore and celebrate reading for all of our pupils.

Our Right to Read is proudly displayed in classrooms and should be updated daily to reflect the varied opportunities and contexts we are providing children to read. This will reflect a mix of individual reading, group reading, whole class reading, reading for pleasure, reading for research in foundation subjects and sharing a class novel, etc. These are then monitored each week by the subject leader in order to ensure there is a varied and consistent approach to reading across the setting.