Intent
At St. Ignatius’ Catholic Primary School, we recognise the importance of English and believe that literacy and communication are key life skills. We aim for all our pupils to be confident, independent learners with high aspirations for their future.
We want our children to develop a love of writing, alongside the skills and knowledge that enable them to communicate effectively and creatively through spoken language. We also want to equip them with the skills to become lifelong learners and independent young people, with the values, knowledge and confidence to succeed in whatever their future holds. Literacy is at the heart of all pupils’ learning and is central to their intellectual, emotional and social development. It plays an essential role across the curriculum, helping pupils’ learning to be coherent and progressive.
We use engaging resources to inspire pupils by planning enjoyable, purposeful lessons that address the knowledge, skills and concepts in the National Curriculum, which are at the core of our teaching in English.
Implementation
English is taught daily across the school. We teach the skills pupils need to communicate effectively and coherently, with confidence. We encourage a talk-rich environment, with a strong focus on book talk and discussion during Guided Reading, within English lessons and across the wider curriculum. Drama, role play, performance, debate and many other speaking and listening activities play an essential role in pupils’ academic and personal development. Lessons include modelling, partner work and independent work. Children are supported to achieve through differentiated activities and scaffolded resources based on their learning needs. Lessons are planned to engage and encourage curiosity in every child. Additional staff are deployed effectively to ensure the greatest impact on pupils’ learning. Each lesson builds on the knowledge and learning from the previous lesson. Reading, language and vocabulary exploration, questioning, discussion and drama-related activities form the basis on which the writing elements are built.
Guided Reading is planned so that all children work with an adult, in a group or 1:1, at least once a week. In EYFS and KS1, this takes place through four to five timetabled sessions a week, and in KS2 through four timetabled sessions a week. All children have a home reading book as part of their homework. These books are changed weekly and are matched to instructional reading levels. From Reception to Year 2, children take home a phonically decodable book linked to their lessons. Any pupil in KS2 who is receiving phonics support also takes home a decodable book. In addition to these books, children choose a book from the library and/or class to read at home.
Spellings are practised in class and as part of homework each week, with spelling tests taking place weekly.
Handwriting is taught as a stand-alone lesson, within phonics lessons and discretely across the curriculum.
The whole school participates in Book Week, which incorporates World Book Day. To better support children’s learning and progress, parents of children in EYFS are invited to take part in phonics workshops. All parents and carers are invited into school to look at their children’s English work during parents’ evenings.
We use the EYFS Statutory Framework outcomes and Development Matters statements as the basis for teaching English across the EYFS. Children are then assessed against the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception. In KS1 and KS2, we use the National Curriculum Programme of Study as the basis for teaching the skills and knowledge required for English. These skills are delivered through the Lancashire Unit Plans. We have a wide range of exciting, culturally diverse and age-appropriate books available for children in classrooms, in our library and as part of our Guided Reading selection to support the development and progression of children’s reading across the school.
Impact
In English, pupils demonstrate their learning in every lesson. To monitor pupils’ attainment and progress, teachers assess the independent writing produced and record a judgement of where the pupil is working in relation to the learning objectives. These judgements support internal school data, which is collected three times a year. Pupil voice is carried out alongside book monitoring and learning walks to examine the day-to-day experience of English in the classroom and to review children’s learning and progress.
Formative assessment happens regularly through targeted questioning during lessons, observations of pupils, review of work and discussion. Previously taught key skills and knowledge are revisited to ensure that children know more, remember more and can do more. This also gives teachers the opportunity to assess pupils’ attainment and progress regularly.
Writing is moderated termly. Teachers collaborate with colleagues from cluster schools to moderate work and identify next steps.
The implementation of this curriculum ensures that, by the time children leave St Ignatius’ Catholic Primary School, they are:
- Confident learners who have a love of reading and writing.
- Resilient, independent learners who recognise how English is relevant to their future and who have high aspirations for the future.
- Secure and fluent in their application of skills and knowledge so that they can read and write with regard to audience and purpose.
- English Subject Leader - Mrs Wearden
English Gallery
