English
Writing
We offer a creative English curriculum based on a variety of written text crossing demographics, cultures, time and place, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, myths and legends. These texts provide the stimulus for the children to create rich, varied and inspired writing. Spelling, punctuation and grammar is taught intrinsically through the text as well as independently from it, which helps to introduce and embed challenging concepts in the long-term memory. All children have weekly spelling tests and we discretely teach handwriting to help the children develop a neat, cursive hand.
At Stockwell, pupils follow the ‘immersion, experimentation, innovation’ sequence of exploring a genre of text. At the start of each unit, the immersion lessons will involve ‘immersing’ the children in the examples of the genre they are focusing on. This will include lessons that allow the children to read, listen to, and where applicable, act out a range of examples of that genre. Following this, children use the features of the genre to work on their sentence and word level skills. This will include a focus on the grammatical elements of the genre. These lessons and their work are linked to the overriding topic of that term and have a clear context and purpose in terms of their end of unit piece. Children will then have the opportunity to plan, draft, edit and publish their final pieces, building on the skills developed over the course of the unit and embodying the practices of professional writers.
Spoken language and performance
At Stockwell Primary School it is well understood that spoken language underpins our pupil’s success in the wider curriculum. We place great emphasis on the continual development of pupils’ confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills. They are continually encouraged to make their thinking clear to themselves as well as to others. Stockwell is a school which actively encourages talk between everyone, in order to build secure foundations in articulating one’s learning, and by using discussion to share, probe and remedy misconceptions.
At Stockwell Primary School, we place great importance on pupils gaining the knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the artistic practice of performing. Throughout their journey at Stockwell, children have opportunities to improvise, devise and script drama and performance for one another and a range of audiences, as well as to rehearse, refine, share and respond to their learning thoughtfully.
| Intention | Implementation | Impact |
| English teaching and learning is developed and embedded throughout the school in order for all children to receive high-quality teaching, leading to consistently high levels of progress and attainment in the English curriculum, even in the event of a school closure; learning in English is embedded within pupils’ long term memory.
The curriculum has been embedded to ensure consistent structure, coverage, progression and delivery of English across the school.
The established English Network works effectively across the Partnership to support and use expertise to enhance outcomes for Bonneville children.
Teachers are clear in what is expected to ensure consistency in the teaching and learning of English across the school and Partnership.
English teaching is further developed and embedded in order to maintain the profile of English across the Partnership, fully engage children in their learning, and increase children’s enjoyment of reading and writing.
| Writing Staff members across the Partnership are confident in delivering a bespoke, revised and well sequenced writing curriculum, whereby children have opportunities to link have been established with newly embedded topics.
English planning is monitored to ensure children are fully engaged and show excellent attainment in the subject. Teachers are confident to use effective questioning to move children on and address misconceptions.
Teachers are confident about the expectations for the subject, including the provision for: ● Well sequenced English lessons across the course of a week ● Spelling ● End of Day reading ● Word of the week The progression of skills taught for each genre of text is codified for each year group so that children’s learning progressively builds upon prior knowledge. Cross-curricular learning opportunities are embedded due to strong communication between middle leadership.
Key vocabulary for each unit has been identified so that children are learning new words in a targeted and progressive way. New vocabulary and Word of the Week is taught weekly during English lessons and children are given the opportunity to use the word in their writing. Teachers display the word in classrooms so that children can refer back to taught vocabulary across a term.
Parent workshops will be delivered in the near future to communicate strategies to help in reducing the vocabulary gap, strategies to improve spelling and the promotion of cursive handwriting.
A Handwriting Policy is being implemented across the Partnership to outline progression across the three Key Stages. Fine Motor and Handwriting time has been scheduled during the school day. Children have been provided with handwriting books to record and practise their handwriting. Achievements in improved handwriting are recognised in Values assemblies and in classroom displays. Precursive and cursive writing is displayed in classrooms.
All staff members share best practices across the school and Partnership, in order to moderate our standards and celebrate achievement.
The English Lead is establishing links with secondary schools in the local area in order to share CPD, learn and improve from their curriculum, and improve transition for our children between primary and secondary.
Reading Staff members across the Partnership are confident in delivering a bespoke and well sequenced reading curriculum, whereby children have opportunities to link have been established with newly embedded topics and develop a variety of reading skills including: ● Word comprehension ● Retrieval of information ● Inference ● Understanding an author’s word and layout choices ● Giving an opinion about the text and linking it to their own experiences
Reading planning and books are monitored to ensure children are fully engaged and show excellent attainment in the subject. Teachers are confident to use effective questioning to move children on and address misconceptions.
Teachers and parents are confident to use online reading platforms and the recommended resources for Phonics learning at home as a result of Parent Workshops.
Children have the opportunity to utilise hard copy books as well as extracts into Guided Reading lessons. The English Lead has outlined coverage across genres for Guided Reading texts, in order to ensure a broad range of genres and a mix of hard copy books and extracts is accommodated.
Teachers will continue to provide End of Day reading sessions every day, and during periods of possible school closure. The English Lead has implemented a way to assess and track children’s reading age in order to accurately assess children’s abilities in reading, potential gaps in attainment and skills, and identify missed learning.
The English Lead has worked with the Reading Lead in order to ensure children’s access to the school library, in line with the current risk assessment.
Staff members are developing their own skill sets as a result of training in order to effectively use book talk during End of Day Reading lessons. Teachers ensure children are well versed to discuss what they have been reading at the end of the day. Teachers utilise different strategies in order to promote reading for pleasure in school.
Teachers utilise practical strategies to increase vocabulary knowledge and comprehension of texts.
Children are inspired to read as a result of school wide competitions and other events across the school community, in line with the risk assessment.
Parents are encouraged to be involved in Virtual reading sessions, sharing stories and literacy at the end of the day. | At least 85% of pupils across the school are meeting or exceeding expectations English.
Teachers are clear in their planning so that learning is sequenced and progressive, building on prior learning.
Gaps in terms of missed learning are reduced.
Children develop enjoyment for the subject and read and write with purpose and pleasure. |
| English teaching and learning is further developed, and embedded throughout the school, in order for all children to engage with a curriculum that is diverse and reflects the demographics of the school, our community and wider society. Diversity permeates all planning within the provision of English teaching and learning. | The English Lead has outlined the importance of utilising texts from a diverse range of backgrounds, leading to the introduction of new texts from a diverse range of authors, subject matter and setting.
The English Subject Leads across the Partnership have audited the curriculum in order to identify possibilities for greater diversification and representation within the curriculum. | Children understand the rich diversity that language and literature offer and are able to draw upon this to develop their own abilities as readers and authors.
Children are more engaged with the curriculum as it reflects and links with their own lives and experiences.
All children in Bonneville make good or outstanding progress. |
| English teaching and learning is further developed and embedded throughout the school in order to increase the progress and attainment made by Boys, BCRB and PORT children, children with dyslexia or dyslexic tendencies and to address gaps accrued due to missed learning, as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. All staff ensure the intent and implementation of our curriculum is sharply focussed on addressing the teaching and learning gaps created by the school closure period, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and existing within key target groups.
As part of the wider Reading Catch-up strategy, teachers are utilising research based strategies to develop reading skills in order to minimise potential gaps in reading and access to other subjects more widely.
| All teachers continue to use data to inform gaps in progress and attainment across target groups in English.
Teachers will continue to provide End of Day reading sessions every day, and during periods of possible school closure.
Children take part in English related events across the school community, in line with the risk assessment.
The English Lead is researching a spelling list to be utilised by children with dyslexic tendencies.
Some children who do not have access to online portals will be given books to take home from school in order to promote the continuation of reading at home.
The English lead is working closely with the KS1 Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher to identify children’s current and projected attainment in Reading and Writing, to inform further interventions if necessary.
Children utilise strategies of ‘Rainbow Writing’ in their Spelling books, to 0 support them to learn and embed high-frequency word spellings set as homework, so that children who are unable to access homework for any reason are receiving coverage at school as well.
Teachers are confident to strategically plan lessons to provide additional opportunities to develop reading skills. | The engagement, interest, attainment and progress made by target children within English is increased.
Children’s learning gaps are significantly minimised.
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