“Believe, Achieve, Succeed. In our hands we hold the future.”
Church of England Primary School
English Policy
English Policy
Rationale:
The Importance of English:
“English has a pre- eminent place in education and in society. A high quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.” (National Curriculum, 2013)
Aims:
As a school we want to enable the children to:
§ Enjoy the subject and study it with a sense of achievement.
· Understand how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins.
· Be able to use this knowledge to choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations.
· Be able to express themselves creatively and imaginatively.
· Communicate with others effectively.
· Learn to be enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction texts.
· Have a positive attitude towards language as an interesting and creative subject.
· Use their skills with confidence and understanding in real life situations.
· Develop the ability to look critically at their work, edit and improve it.
· Achieve a high standard in English and gain a secure foundation of knowledge, skills and concepts as set out in the following section.
Guidelines:
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding:
English is a National Curriculum core subject, categorised into 3 attainment targets:
EN1 - Speaking and Listening
EN2 – Reading
EN3 - Writing
The school will follow the requirements of the National Curriculum as set out in The National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers in England (DfEE, 1999) but will begin to use the guidelines set out in the National Curriculum Handbook, 2013. Years 1 to 6 will follow the guidance contained in The Primary Framework for Teaching English; Reception will follow the guidance contained in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
During the course of their time at Hutton CE Primary School the children will be introduced to the full range of knowledge, skills and understanding. These are detailed as follows:
Speaking and Listening
/Reading
/ WritingAt both Key Stages One and Two:
Speaking
Listening
Group discussion and interaction
Drama
Standard English
Language variation / At both Key Stages One and Two:
Reading Strategies
Understanding texts
Reading for information and enjoyment
Literature
Language structure and variation
Non-fiction and non-literary texts / At both Key Stages One and Two:
Composition
Planning and editing
Punctuation
Spelling
Handwriting and presentation
Standard English
Language structure
The children will become familiar with a range of processes through which they will learn English. These will include:
Speaking and Listening / Reading / WritingTelling stories
Reading aloud
Reciting
Describing events and experiences
Presenting to audiences annexed to this document.) convincing others
Extended speaking
Varied opportunities for listening
Making and sharing plans
Sharing ideas and experiences
Commenting and reporting
Investigating, selecting, sorting
Planning, predicting, exploring
Explaining, reporting, evaluating
Working in role
Presenting drama and stories to others
Improvisation
Scripting and performing plays
Responding to performances
Talk Partners / Using a range of strategies (phonemic, graphic, grammatical and contextual understanding) to make sense of what they read.
Reading a range of texts (Details of these can be found in the School’s Reading Policy annexed to this document.)
Using the text to investigate sounds, spellings, word order, parts of words, punctuation.
Reading for information
Appreciating literary texts
Investigating vocabulary, punctuation, style, word order, organisational features / Writing for a range of readers
Writing in a range of forms including narratives, poems, notes, lists, captions, instructions.
Planning ® drafting ®composing ® reviewing ® revising
Writing to:
communicate to others
create imaginary worlds
explore experience
organise and explain
inform
remember and develop ideas.
20
English Policy – November 2014
“Believe, Achieve, Succeed. In our hands we hold the future.”
20
English Policy – November 2014
“Believe, Achieve, Succeed. In our hands we hold the future.”
Expectations
By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the majority of pupils will have achieved the Early Learning Goals, some children may have progressed beyond these goals and will be working within Level 1 (of the National Curriculum) and beyond. (see Foundation Stage Policy).
By the end of KS1, the performance of the majority of pupils should be within the range of levels 1 to 3. Most pupils are expected to achieve level 2.
By the end of KS2, the performance of the great majority of pupils should be within the range of levels 4 – 5. Most pupils are expected to achieve at least level 4.
Strategies for teaching
The school has adopted the exemplar planning endorsed by a local Outstanding School; a Scheme of Work that covers the teaching and learning of the seven fiction plots (The Quest, Voyage and Return, Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, Rebirth, Comedy and Tragedy) and six non-fiction text types (Recount, Non-Chronological Report, Discussion, Persuasion, Instructions, Explanation), over a two year rolling programme. Teachers organise these units into termly medium term plans as appropriate for other topics in the curriculum and for their year group. At times, teachers may use a literary text as the core theme for their topic.
Following recommendations contained in DfEE Review of The National Literacy Strategy, the school has taken a more flexible approach to the structure of its lessons. For example, in Key Stage One greater time is spent on phonics and word level work and in Years Two to Six more time is allowed for extended writing. Specific details are contained within the Reading and Spelling policies included in this document.
The teaching in English should be discursive, interactive, well-paced and ambitious. The objectives in the framework give English teaching focus and direction and teachers aim for high levels of motivation and active engagement for pupils. To achieve this, teachers will use a wide range of teaching strategies including:
Shared Writing
Guided Writing
direction
demonstration
modelling
scaffolding
explanation
questioning
initiating and guiding exploration
investigating ideas
discussing and arguing
listening and responding
Both whole class and focused group work will be a key feature of English teaching. During focussed group work, the teacher works with a differentiated group “guiding” them through an independent reading or writing activity. These sessions will be used to meet mainly text level objectives within the Framework, although opportunities may occur to cover word and sentence level objectives.
Independent learning for groups working without the teacher is encouraged from Reception. The tasks the independent groups are set will cover all three levels (text, sentence and word) and may be:
independent reading and writing
phonic and spelling investigations and practice
comprehension work
note making
reviewing and evaluating
proof- reading and editing
vocabulary extension
handwriting practice
practice and investigations in grammar, punctuation and sentence construction
preparing presentations to the class
English lessons will end with a whole class plenary session. This is viewed as a vital part of English teaching. The plenary will be signalled as a separate session and will be used to:
re-emphasise teaching points
clarify misconceptions
reflect on learning
revise and practice skills learnt in the session
provide assessment opportunities
present work to peers
provide feedback to the pupils
‘Mini-plenaries’ may also take place during the lesson for the reasons given above. Feedback is given to the children as soon as possible, in accordance with the school’s marking policy. This aims to encourage and to give guidance for future work.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
The English Subject Team is responsible for monitoring the provision and practice of English teaching within the school. This role involves:
· Monitoring planning, teaching and learning to ensure the policy guidelines are being followed and standards are at least good.
· Supporting staff in the planning, teaching and assessment of English.
· Monitoring the progress of children in English through assessment tracking records and regular discussions with the SENDCO, teachers and parents.
This policy will be reviewed annually by the English Subject Team and Curriculum and Standards Committee of the Governing Body.
Reading Policy
Rationale:
Reading is a key element of English, underpinning the ability to write effectively for many different purposes and a source of stimulation for creative thinking and imagining.
At Hutton C E Primary School, we seek to create a culture where all learners are actively engaged in the process of reading for both enjoyment and information.
Aims:
As a school our aims in the teaching of reading are that the pupils will:
· Be able to read with fluency, accuracy and understanding
· Develop a love of literature enjoying a range of genres
· Develop understanding and appreciation of literary texts
· Be able to read for information and use organisational features and systems
· Be able to present stories, poems and plays aloud
· Be able to make connections with other aspects of language thus fostering knowledge and mastery of language
· Use their skills with confidence in real life situations.
Guidelines:
In the Foundation Stage reading is taught within the Communication and Language and Literacy strands; and alongside other areas of the Early Years curriculum. In Key Stage One and Two, reading is usually taught in class guided reading groups as part of the daily English lesson - with texts and tasks differentiated according to ability. There are also opportunities for both able pupils and those with specific difficulties to work in separate groups, either as part of the English lessons or at other times of the day. Reading will also often be taught outside English lessons, across the curriculum, or through focused reading sessions.
The school will follow the requirements of the National Curriculum as set out in The National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers in England (DfEE, 1999), beginning to use the National Curriculum Handbook, 2013, and in Years 1 to 6 will follow the guidance on reading contained in The Primary Framework for Teaching English. The Foundation Stage will follow guidance from the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Strategies for Teaching
The school follows the yearly objectives for reading given in the Primary Framework for Teaching English. The specific teaching strategies used in the teaching of reading will include: direction, demonstration, modelling, scaffolding, explanation, questioning, initiating and guiding exploration and investigating ideas. A multi-sensory approach ensures that teaching is accessible to all learning styles.
The home-school reading system is the children’s first introduction to the teaching of reading in Reception. This is a collection of books graded so as to allow the child to progress through them until they are a “free reader” (usually early in Key Stage Two, when children progress to using the school and class libraries). The teaching of reading at this stage starts a collaborative partnership between reader, teacher and carer that is a primary importance within the teaching of reading throughout the school. The Home-School Reading Books are used alongside shared and individual reading in school and phonic teaching to provide a key resource for teaching reading in Reception.
The use of reading log books supports the home-school reading system right through the school. These books are used by parents and children to record reading that has taken place at home or in school. Children are also encouraged to respond to the books they are reading in this book, often through structured tasks (see appendix 1). In upper key stage 2 reading logs are often used to support guided reading.
During English lessons in years 1 to 6, reading plays a key part in whole class teaching. In a shared reading introduction, a big book, text extract or class text is shared with the class - and reading strategies, vocabulary, text conventions and understanding are taught.
Focused group work is a key feature of the teaching of reading. In guided reading, the teacher works with a differentiated group “guiding” them through a reading activity. These sessions will be used to meet mainly text level objectives within the Framework, although opportunities may occur to cover word and sentence level objectives. In these situations the teacher may work on a specific reading objective with the focus group.
Independent learning for groups working without the teacher is encouraged from Year One. The tasks the independent groups are set include text, sentence and word level work and will include specific reading activities on a rotational basis.
Individual reading can be either independent or with a teacher/other trained adult. At
Key Stage 1 and early Key Stage 2, individual reading is the most effective method of teaching reading and so should occur daily for every child. As reading develops, children will become able to read independently - but should still read with a teacher or other trained adult regularly.
The whole class plenary sessions will also be utilised to teach reading - by: re-emphasising, teaching points, clarifying misconceptions, reflecting on learning, revising and practicing skills learnt in the session or providing assessment opportunities.
Feedback is given to the children as soon as possible (see marking policy).
Home/ School links
We recognise that parents have an active and vital part to play in all aspects of their child’s learning and can specifically help them to learn to read by sharing books with them, reading to them and listening to them read on a regular basis. Guidance on supporting reading is provided in the reading log books (see appendix 1) Curriculum evenings and Parent Consultation evenings will also inform parents of the best ways to support their children in learning to read.
Assessment
The assessment of children’s reading is on-going to ensure that progress is being made.