English

Implementation

Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum for English and is supported by Hampshire. English and the teaching of English is embedded across the curriculum and our programme of study is organised carefully so that children can build on their skills and knowledge. English is taught daily in whole classes and each year group has a well-organised English curriculum using learning journeys that provide many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. The journey uses high quality texts, extracts and unit drivers and is designed to show progress, teach the pertinent year group objectives, apply and consolidate these skills and develop vocabulary. It accommodates children’s very different learning styles within a common framework and allows for planning to be adapted to suit the varying needs of individual children. By following a clear pathway of progression, which focuses on our children’s ‘next steps’, a secure basis in literacy skills is achieved. In addition to daily English lessons our children benefit from a structured phonics programme from Year R to Year 2, spelling and guided reading sessions.  Please see our phonics and early reading page for more details. We have a rich and well-stocked school library and a colour banded progressive reading scheme with phonetically decodable books which aim to build confidence and fluency in our younger readers. We provide inspiring opportunities through our World Book Day programme and visiting authors, allowing children to benefit from interacting with positive role models from the local and wider locality.

Children are given opportunities to explore a wide variety of forms and styles as well as having ample time to work on their writing – thus increasing their ability and stamina to manage extended texts. Quality WAGGOLS, shared writing and ‘in the moment’ modelled writing, from teachers and teaching assistants, is used to stimulate and generate ideas for children to explore as a means of communication. Feedback to children is prompt and they are encouraged to be reflective learners, aware of their goals and responsibilities as writers and how their writing, reading or communication choices might impact or influence others. Children are given different ways and means of composing and publishing writing, including digital and multi-modal texts, related to purpose and audience. Teachers are able to embed English skills by using cross curricular opportunities. Spelling and grammar, linked to language and form, is taught, modelled and explored as an integral part of our writing curriculum. Handwriting is taught through a consistent approach and pupils are encouraged to develop a legible, joined and fluent style which empowers them to write with speed, confidence and pride. 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Early Learning Goals

National Curriculum for English

In line with the aims of the National Curriculum for English, we aim to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate. 

National Curriculum Year 1 programme of study 

Reading - word reading

Pupils should be taught to:

• apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words
• respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes
• read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught
• read common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
• read words containing taught GPCs and –s, –es, –ing, –ed, –er and –est endings
• read other words of more than one syllable that contain taught GPCs
• read words with contractions [for example, I’m, I’ll, we’ll], and understand that the apostrophe represents the omitted letter(s)
• read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words
• re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading. 

Reading - comprehension

Pupils should be taught to:

• develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: 
  • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently
  • being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences
  • becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics
  • recognising and joining in with predictable phrases
  • learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart
  • discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known
• understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by:
  • drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
  • checking that the text makes sense to them as they read and correcting inaccurate reading
  • discussing the significance of the title and events
  • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
  • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far 
• participate in discussion about what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say
• explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them. 

Writing - transcription - spelling

Pupils should be taught to:

• spell: 
  • words containing each of the 40+ phonemes already taught
  • common exception words
  • the days of the week 
• name the letters of the alphabet:
  • naming the letters of the alphabet in order
  • using letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound 
• add prefixes and suffixes: 
  • using the spelling rule for adding –s or –es as the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs
  • using the prefix un–
  • using –ing, –ed, –er and –est where no change is needed in the spelling of root words [for example, helping, helped, helper, eating, quicker, quickest] 
• apply simple spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English Appendix 1 
• write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far. 

Writing - transcription - handwriting

Pupils should be taught to:

• sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly
• begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place
• form capital letters
• form digits 0-9
• understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (i.e. letters that are formed in similar ways) and to practise these. 

Writing - composition

Pupils should be taught to:

• write sentences by: 
  • saying out loud what they are going to write about
  • composing a sentence orally before writing it
  • sequencing sentences to form short narratives
  • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense 
• discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils
• read aloud their writing clearly enough to be heard by their peers and the teacher. 

Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

Pupils should be taught to:

• develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by: 
  • leaving spaces between words
  • joining words and joining clauses using and
  • beginning to punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark
  • using a capital letter for names of people, places, the days of the week, and the personal pronoun ‘I’
  • learning the grammar for year 1 in English Appendix 2 
• use the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing. 

National Curriculum Year 2 programme of study 

Reading - word reading

Pupils should be taught to:

• continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
• read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes
• read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above
• read words containing common suffixes
• read further common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
• read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, when they have been frequently encountered
• read aloud books closely matched to their improving phonic knowledge, sounding out unfamiliar words accurately, automatically and without undue hesitation
• re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading. 

Reading - comprehension

Pupils should be taught to:

• develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: 
  • listening to, discussing and expressing views about a wide range of contemporary and classic poetry, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently
  • discussing the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related
  • becoming increasingly familiar with and retelling a wider range of stories, fairy stories and traditional tales
  • being introduced to non-fiction books that are structured in different ways
  • recognising simple recurring literary language in stories and poetry
  • discussing and clarifying the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary
  • discussing their favourite words and phrases
  • continuing to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear 
• understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by:
  • drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
  • checking that the text makes sense to them as they read and correcting inaccurate reading
  • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
  • answering and asking questions
  • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far 
• participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say
• explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves. 

Writing - transcription - spelling

Pupils should be taught to:

• spell by: 
  • segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
  • learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
  • learning to spell common exception words
  • learning to spell more words with contracted forms
  • learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl’s book]
  • distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones 
• add suffixes to spell longer words, including –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly 
• apply simple spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English Appendix 1 
• write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far. 

Writing - transcription - handwriting

Pupils should be taught to:

• form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another
• start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
• write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower case letters
• use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters. 

Writing - composition

Pupils should be taught to:

• develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: 
  
  • writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)
  • writing about real events
  • writing poetry
  • writing for different purposes 
• consider what they are going to write before beginning by: 
  • planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about
  • writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary
  • encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence 
• make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by: 
  • evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils
  • re-reading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form
  • proof-reading to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation [for example, ends of sentences punctuated correctly] 
• read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear. 

Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation

Pupils should be taught to:

• develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by: 
  • learning how to use both familiar and new punctuation correctly (see English Appendix 2), including full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms and the possessive (singular) 
• learn how to use: 
  • sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
  • expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
  • the present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form
  • subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
  • the grammar for year 2 in English Appendix 2
  • some features of written Standard English 
• use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing.