“English is the language of the future,… the most important tool you’ll ever need, no matter what career you choose. You have the right to English. Make it your right!”
Benjamin Zephaniah
Our English Intent
At Northern Primary School we believe that English is a fundamental life skill. It develops children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes. The ability to develop the use of the English language is crucial for each child’s education. It is the main medium through which the rest of the curriculum is learned and taught and the means by which children interpret the world around them and communicate with other people. Children are enabled to express themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as of non-fiction and media texts. Children gain an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Children use their knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking and writing across a range of different situations. English is a core subject in the National Curriculum. We use the Primary Framework as the basis for implementing the statutory requirements of the programme of study for English.
The children will also have access to our school library which has a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books for the children to have the opportunity to select a book solely based on their own interests. We also work closely with Lancashire Library Service to have Topic loan boxes specific to their topics in class. Lancashire Library service also comes into school to deliver story telling workshops to the children to further enthuse and deepen their love of reading.
At Northern, we are a Rights Respecting School and support the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This is a set of 54 Articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life – civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, all of which, children everywhere are entitled to. This policy relates to many of the Articles including;
English in the Early Years
At Northern we ensure that activities in Reception Class are fun and engaging. These are carefully planned and designed to ensure that they develop children’s social skills as well as their speaking and language skills. Our interactive outdoor area is used as an extension of the classroom and there are opportunities for mark making and role play using a variety of resources.
All children in Reception Class use the Read Write Inc programme. Initially this is taught as a whole class to enable all children to learn the sounds. From Spring Term, children are grouped to address their individual learning needs and English is taught at a level which suits the individual’s needs and learning style. Opportunities are then provided for children to apply these skills in practical situations using the continuous provision environment and engaging reading area.
English in Key Stage One
In Key Stage One, children build on the foundations of their learning in Reception Class. They continue to follow the Read Write Inc programme and are provided with more opportunities to apply their skills independently through more structured lessons. Reading is a very important part of the curriculum at Northern and we ensure there are learning opportunities across all curriculum areas. Children begin to write more for a purpose such as postcards, newspaper reports and non-chronological reports. Themed reading areas support learning through the curriculum and children are encouraged to read for pleasure.
In Key Stage One, children are introduced to the Read Write Inc Handwriting scheme and joined writing is introduced and taught in Year Two.
English in Key Stage Two
In Key Stage Two, children complete daily guided reading activities which challenge the children at a level which is appropriate for their reading ability. Themed reading areas continue in Key Stage Two and children build on their knowledge of grammar in order to become more confident writers who can produce pieces with fluency. Children write at length across the curriculum and their work is celebrated in vibrant classroom environments.
- Article 28. Access to education
Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary and higher education should be available to every child. Children should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level possible. Discipline in schools should respect children’s rights and never use violence. - Article 29. Aims of education
Children’s education should help them fully develop their personalities, talents and abilities. It should teach them to understand their own rights, and to respect other people’s rights, cultures and differences. It should help them to live peacefully and protect the environment. - Article 31. Rest, play, culture, arts
Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities. - Article 12. Respect for children’s views
Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. Adults should listen and take children seriously. - Article 13. Sharing thoughts freely
Children have the right to share freely with others what they learn, think and feel, by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way unless it harms other people.
English Curriculum at Northern
The skills that children develop in English are linked to, and applied in, every subject of our curriculum. The children’s skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening enable them to communicate and express themselves in all areas of their work in school. We encourage children to learn about other cultures through planned learning experiences. Links with children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are actively promoted throughout the school. Topic walls will always display key vocabulary for children to use during their topic writing and reading.
Handwriting
At Northern Primary School, children in Reception Class begin to form letters as part of the Read Write Inc scheme.
In Reception Class, children take part in ‘Funky Finger’ activities. These activities encourage the development of fine motor and language skills that are essential for hand writing. Funky Fingers may be done at a set time or be in a set area all day and can be made to fit in with any theme, topic or interest. Any activity could be classed as a Funky Finger activity if it focuses on children using fine motor skills.
What are the benefits Funky Fingers?
There are many benefits of Funky Fingers, here are a few
- Promotes fine motor skills
- Encourages communication and language skills
- Supports hand writing skills through fine motor strength and control
- Highly adaptable
- Can fit in with any theme, topic, celebration, interest
- Repetitive fine motor skills in a fun way
- If changed regularly such as weekly children are excited and intrigued to have a go
- Promotes characteristics of effective learning
- Allows children to develop the skills they need without causing any confusion around hand writing
- Through improving fine motor skills children develop independence in things such as buttoning their own coats or opening their own packets
Once they are secure with these letters, and enter Year One, they begin to follow the Read write Inc handwriting scheme; this then continues to develop throughout each key stage. Once children are forming letters clearly and accurately, we begin to focus on making accurate joins, ensuring that writing is legible and all lettering is formed at the correct size.
We love to celebrate at Northern! In Year 2, children work towards achieving their handwriting licence. They achieve this when they can successfully form all of their letters correctly and prepare for cursive writing. In Year 4 their pen licence is issued when children are correctly forming all joins correctly and that all letters are formed with correct sizing..
Phonics
Intent
At Northern Primary School we are passionate about ensuring all children become confident and enthusiastic readers and writers. We use the scheme Read Write Inc. to ensure consistency across school. Through phonics, children learn to segment words to support their spelling ability and blend sounds to read words. The teaching of phonics is of high priority.
At Northern we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their reading. RWI is a method of learning, centered around a systematic approach to letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children in their reading and writing.
Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.
Using RWI, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write.
When using RWI to read the children will:
- learn that sounds are represented by written letters
- learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts
- learn how to blend sounds
- learn to read words using Fred Talk
- read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out
- show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions.
When using RWI to write the children will:
- learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent 44 sounds.
- learn to write words by saying the sounds in Fred Talk
- write simple sentences
- Use adventurous vocabulary within their writing
When children first start in Year Two, RWI phonics continues for the Autumn term. Children then move on to the No Nonsense spelling scheme and apply the knowledge they have gained through RWI. Some children may need longer to feel secure with all of the RWI sounds. Therefore, these children will continue with daily phonics sessions. Your child’s class teacher will liaise with you if your child needs extra support in this area.
Reading
Our Intent
When our children leave our school, we expect them to be avid readers, who read fluently and widely, and are able to express preferences and opinions about the texts that they read. We want them to read for pleasure, having had access to a wide range of text types, genres and authors in order for them to make informed opinions about their favourites. Through choosing quality texts and the knowledge they have gained from these texts, we want children to be able to understand more about the world in which they live.
At Northern we believe reading is the key to succeeding! Each of our classrooms have a dedicated reading area where children can enjoy reading for pleasure and can experience a range of genres relating to the topic they are currently learning in class.
We have library areas for all children to access. These have a range of fiction and non fiction books which the children can choose for pleasure and also to support their learning across the curriculum.
We work closely with Lancashire library services and they provide termly resource boxes to support the learning in school. This ensures that children are constantly accessing new resources to ignite their interest. As well as supplying books, the library loan service also provide artefacts and practical resources to immerse the children in their learning.
Each class also have a class novel which is read at the end of each day. An interactive book board is present in each class for the children to make predictions, document favourite parts and learn about the author. Character webs and plot structures are also discussed and displayed on these boards.
In the in the early stages of reading, books match the phonics phase the child is working at and then this progresses from reading for decoding to reading for understanding and enjoyment. For children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (for the Autumn Term) RWI is taught daily with writing tasks linked to the book which is being shared that week. In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, guided reading activities take place daily on a carousel basis.
Children receive books to bring home for reading right from Reception Class. We expect children to read at home with an adult everyday and we teach children to read using the Read, Write, Inc phonics scheme. Parents should sign their child’s Home Reading Record each day so that staff in school know when the book needs changing and can monitor how regularly home reading is taking place.
We also subscribe to Reading Eggs which is a fun and interactive resource to develop your child’s reading skills.
Useful Links
As a school we are lucky to work with Lancashire Literacy Consultants. We follow the Learning and Progression Steps (LAPS) in Reading for children’s targets.
Writing
Our intent
Our vision at Northern Primary School is to give every child the opportunity to become a writer and be excited by writing. We believe that high expectations and encouragement will create a confident and capable writer. We want our children to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. We believe it is important for all children to be exposed to quality writing texts and given the time to reflect upon their writing and the writing of others. Children at Northern will develop the tools they need to become a proficient writer and develop a genuine love of Writing.
At Northern Primary School, we encourage children to take pride in their writing, whilst nurturing creativity and building confidence.
As a school, we develop writing through four purposes. These are:
- writing to entertain;
- writing to inform;
- writing to persuade;
- writing to discuss.
As a school we are lucky to work with Lancashire Literacy Consultants. We follow the Learning and Progression Steps (LAPS) in Writing for children’s targets.
Spoken Language
Our intent
We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and be able to use discussion to communicate and further their learning. We are very aware that some of our pupils’ early language acquisition is limited and this is why we believe that providing a language rich environment, with a strong focus on oracy, is essential to the success across the curriculum.
Speaking and listening in Reception Class.
Our Reception Class has a large, interactive outdoor area which is resourced to stimulate children’s imagination and develop their speaking and listening skills. Likewise, the indoor classroom provides stimulating continuous provision which runs alongside the current topic and aims to develop and broaden the children’s vocabulary.
Spoken Language – Years 1 to 6
The following statements apply to all years. The content is taught at a level appropriate to the age of the pupils. Pupils build on the oral language skills that have been taught in preceding years.
Spoken language
Pupils should be taught to:
- listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
- ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
- use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
- articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
- give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
- maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
- use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
- speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
- participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates
- gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
- consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
- select and use appropriate registers for effective communication