English
English Curriculum Summary
How We Teach English
English skills are central to all learning whether through speaking and listening, reading or writing and this is reflected in our teaching across the school.
Phonics
We have recently reviewed our teaching of phonics within school and are in the process of moving from 'Letters and Sounds' to 'Little Wandle Letters and Sounds'. All staff have received training and this will be fully implemented throughout the school by September 2022.
Writing
At Challock we believe that development in writing follows naturally from the enjoyment and inspiration provided by high quality texts as well as the systematic teaching of handwriting, spelling and grammar. In addition, children are given a purpose for writing with experiential opportunities for creating poetry, story-writing, reports and explanations.
Children are encouraged to develop a joy in communicating through writing from the emergent writing in the Foundation Stage to the accomplished and confident writers who leave our school. We recognise the value of ‘Talk for Writing’ and children are given opportunities for speaking and listening in all writing units taught. Storytelling plays an important role throughout the school allowing children to internalise writing patterns in order for them to imitate, innovate and invent their own. Children are given regular opportunities for extended creative writing in Big Writing sessions.
Phonics, spelling and grammar are taught systematically through the school and reinforced and applied during writing sessions, including shared writing and guided writing. Teachers use feedback marking to inform pupils of their next steps and to inform future planning for individuals and groups. Children are encouraged to reflect on their own learning and that of their peers, and to draft, edit and improve their writing.
Reading
We believe that it is every child’s right to learn to read and we hope that our children go beyond this and develop a love and pleasure for reading during these formative years. Reading is taught through phonics sessions, one-to-one with the teacher, teaching assistant or helper, guided group reading and by teachers reading high quality, stimulating texts aloud to the children.
Every member of staff is a reading role model who demonstrates and encourages a love for reading. Children have access to a wide variety of age and ability appropriate reading materials:
Each year has selected reading books in the classroom
There is an extensive, well organised school library
The school reading scheme provides structured progression at school and home
Teachers choose challenging guided reading texts to be studied in small groups
Teachers carefully select core texts to be used in lessons
External visits from authors, poets and dramatists
Visiting book fairs.
Staff track the progress of children throughout the year ensuring that each child is supported and challenged at their appropriate level.
Our Reading Scheme
Our Reading Scheme promotes 'The Balanced Reader' and we introduced it to our parents via the following presentations: