At All Saints, by nurturing hearts and inspiring minds, we encourage all pupils to shine in everything they do in English.
Writing is a crucial part of our curriculum at All Saints. By the end of Year Six we intend our children to have developed a love of writing and to be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through the written word. We also intend to create writers who can re-read, edit and improve their own writing, and enable pupils to be able to confidently use the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and spelling. At All Saints, we set high expectations for all our children to take pride in their work and have a fluent, cursive handwriting style alongside allowing their imaginations to flourish.
IMPLEMENTATION:
In order to help us to develop confident, enthusiastic writers who can express themselves in a variety of different styles and across a variety of contexts, our teaching of writing is often cross circular and linked to our class topics. This provides our children with regular opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Writing tasks are specific and meaningful, and often meet a purpose to engage children and to illustrate how their writing skills can be applied to real life contexts.
We use cold tasks at the beginning of every writing unit to assess where children are at the beginning of their writing journey and then plan based on this assessment, targeting areas of development in both structure, language, punctuation and spelling. Talk for writing is used across the school from Reception to year 6. This is an engaging teaching framework that we have found raises progress, giving children a clear structure to achieve their best in their ‘hot task’ write.
Children learn spellings at home each week and these are tested in school. Additionally, spelling is taught daily in Key Stage 1, in Phonics lessons (20 minutes), and daily in key Stage 2 (10 minutes). Children who need additional support with spelling receive a variety of interventions that are tailored to address their gaps. Each child in KS2 has a subscription to spelling frame which is used daily at school and children also engage with this at home.
Daily fluency in GPS happens from Y1 onwards (15 minutes). This enables children to daily revisit previous learning and target learning gaps.
All learning in English is marked either during that lesson (VF = verbal feedback) or before the next lesson. A whole class VF is used on the WALT slips so that extensive, and unnecessary marking, is reduced.
Each class has access to ‘learning help mats’. This supports all children, not just SEN. These consist of phonic mats, spellings, vocabulary prompts etc.
Purple pens are used for editing time. Specific time is given daily for self and peer editing.
Learning walls are used in each classroom.
IMPACT:
Pupils will make good progress from their own personal starting points. By the end of Year Six they will be able to write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Our pupils will acquire a wide vocabulary and have a strong command of the written word. Most importantly, they will develop a love of writing and be well equipped for the rest of their education.
At All Saints, by nurturing hearts and inspiring minds, we encourage all pupils to shine in everything they do in English.
Reading lies at the heart of the curriculum at All Saints. We are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers and we believe reading is key for academic success.IMPLEMENTATION:
- Reading to learn is an important aspect of our whole school curriculum. Children complete a cross-curricular reading comprehension once a week from Y1-6.
- Children take part in Guided Reading lessons four times a week. The fifth day, is a whole class reading text focus, emphasising a particular VIPER skills. During this time, children are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate their understanding and thinking behind these.
- We have a welcoming library at the heart of the school. Children have access to this, and select their own reading books which are changed frequently.
- Each classroom has a selection of books which are directly linked to the class topic. This offers opportunities for pupils to apply their reading skills across the curriculum.
- Children are read to each day by their class teacher. This can be a book that the teacher recommends to the class or a recommendation from a child. A focus is on school values, meanings and cultural capital.
- Children take part in daily ERIC. At this time, staff will read 1:1 with specific children.
- Project Code is used as a reading intervention for KS2 (for children not accessing KS2 levelled book scheme)
- There is a progressive reading scheme used from Rec – Y4. When children are ready, they then become free readers. In KS1, books are organised to match systematic phonics teaching and are decodable.
- Toe by Toe is used to target specific children’s needs in reading as well as 60-second read intervention. Preicision reading is used from Reception to Y6 for specific individuals.
- We celeberate reading at home, with a reading award scheme (termly).
IMPACT:
By the time children leave All Saints, they are competent readers who can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a range of genres including poetry, and participate in discussions about books, including evaluating an author’s use of language and the impact this can have on the reader. They can also read books to enhance their knowledge and understanding of all subjects on the curriculum, and communicate their research to a wider audience.INTENT:
At All Saints, by nurturing hearts and inspiring minds, we encourage all pupils to shine in everything they do in English.
- We want all children to be able to:
- Express their opinions, articulate feelings and listen to and respond appropriately in a range of situations;
- Participate with different groups of children to present ideas with confidence, valuing the views of others;
IMPLEMENTATION:
Approaches to teaching and learning encourage pupils to voice their ideas in small group and class discussions, as we recognise that sharing and explaining concepts with peers enhances learning. Staff model the use of higher level vocabulary within their speech and expanding children’s vocabulary is a key focus from EYFS. Subject specific vocabulary is embedded across the curriculum, through teacher modelling, in context. Contextual learning helps children to understand new words and supports them in including them in their work.
Guided Reading and whole class reading text sessions encourage pupils to explore unfamiliar vocabulary and expand their knowledge of words. Staff model correct grammar in speech and encourage children to reflect this in their use of spoken and written language. Children are given the chance to orally rehearse ideas for writing regularly (talk for writing framework).
Drama is used across the curriculum to explore and engage children in their learning. This gives children the chance to embed vocabulary in shared activities. Each class leads worship each term for parents (class celebration worship).
Children in Reception, year 1 and 2 perform a nativity play each Christmas; All children perform in celebration worships throughout the year such as harvest and Easter (in church); KS2 do a performance for the whole community in the summer term.
Buddy systems used (reception children are linked with a Y5/6 pupil).
Committee groups promote leadership across the school, such as sports ambassadors, e-safety leaders, school council, worship leaders and eco leaders.
IMPACT:
In a safe and encouraging environment, children develop into confident communicators who illuminate the goodness in each other by listening, speaking with kindness and empathy and explaining with clarity and confidence. Children recognise that speaking and listening can lie at the heart of conveying character, and that through speaking and listening effectively, misunderstandings can be addressed and relationships enhanced.
