English has a fundamental place in education and in society. Our intent at Sandown is to deliver high-quality education in English that will teach pupils to read fluently, communicate effectively, write purposefully and develop a life-long love of reading. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.
Literature plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know.
You can read more about our English Curriculum here.
You can see our Class Texts here.
At Sandown, we strive to bring English to life. We have regular special events to engage the children with the subject. We have author visits, storytelling puppet shows, storytelling workshops, poetry days, virtual poet and author visits and dressing up days. We also have a weekly celebration assembly where children are celebrated as ‘Reading Bugs’ and identify our ‘Masked Reader’ and win book prizes.
Across EYFS and KS1, phonics is taught systematically on a daily basis, following the Read Write Inc scheme. Read Write Inc (RWI) is a phonics-based programme which helps children learn to read and write, whilst also developing a wide range of vocabulary and encouraging a love of stories. When the children are confident with their sounds and word reading, they are awarded a Fred Frog keyring.
In Key Stage 2, we use a whole class reading approach to teach fluency elements and comprehension skills. The four fluency elements we teach through adult modelling and non-examples, echo reading and choral reading, are Phrasing, Expression and volume, Pace and Smoothness (PEPS). Through questioning and adult modelling, we teach children six key comprehension strategies: Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Summarising/Sequencing (VIPERS). Children are taught what these strategies are, how they can be used and why and when to use each strategy. In KS2, children also use the Accelerated Reader programme to develop their skills through reading books matched to their ability.
The driving focus for each whole-class writing project designed by teachers is audience and purpose. This focus enables teachers and pupils to make appropriate choices about language, tone and structure. Across each term, teachers plan writing projects with varied audiences and purposes and these are then revisited across the year. Teachers select the stimulus for writing. This could be, for example, an experience, a text, learning in another curriculum subject or a film. When the stimulus for our writing is a text, we use our READER approach (Read, Engage, Analyse, Edit, Review). Our spelling and handwriting schemes are used to support children in developing good spelling knowledge and a legible joined style.
For additional information about this subject, please contact the school office and ask to speak to the subject leader.
