English

Our English curriculum follows the National Curriculum 2014 and ensures that children study high- quality texts, including novels, in depth. It provides frequent opportunities for reading, learning how to apply grammar rules and studying how authors use stylistic devices for different effects. Children regularly write at length, either in response to the text they have studied or independent, stand- alone pieces. We deliver discrete phonics, handwriting, spelling and reading sessions in addition to our English lessons. Please see the English and reading policies for further information.

Phonics

Our phonics provision follows the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds revised’ teaching programme and is followed from Nursery through to Year 2. From Reception to Year 2 children are taught phonics in whole class lessons with daily ‘Keep-Up’ sessions for children who need further practise. All classes use and display Little Wandle resources to provide consistency across the school. Any children who need phonics support beyond Year 2 will take part in ‘Little Wandle Rapid Catch-Up’ sessions daily.

Our Early reading provision also follows the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds revised’ programme. Children are placed into ability groups and the books are carefully matched to their knowledge and skills. They take part in three reading sessions with trained staff before taking their reading book home to ‘show off’.

We deliver ‘Little Wandle’ sessions for parents to help them understand how we teach phonics and early reading and how they can support their children at home.

KS1 and 2 children in our Speech and Language Unit use ‘Cued Articulation’ to help them learn their sounds.

Subject Policies/Plans

English Policy 2023-24
Phonics Policy 2023-24
Reading skills and sentence stems
Links between reading foci and comprehension question type

Reading

Writing

Subject Leader/s

English Lead: Mrs Lovell
Phonics and Early Reading Lead: Mrs Turland
Reading and Oracy Lead: Mrs McLean

Impact

Nursery

We offer part time and full-time nursery places. Our children explore literacy through continuous provision, carefully planned book activities and phonics. Our ‘fantastic five’ texts allow children to explore a range of familiar and unfamiliar stories. Alongside this, song and rhyme time is planned into every day and children are encouraged to use Makaton signs whilst singing.

Reception

The Little Wandle phonics programme is used to teach early reading in reception. Our children complete a daily phonics session as well as three reading sessions which focus on their fluency, prosody and comprehension. Children are also read to daily and experience daily song and rhyme time. Alongside this, children are encouraged to write through shared writing sessions as well as independent activities within continuous provision.

Year 1

The Little Wandle phonics programme is used to teach early reading in year 1. Our children complete a daily phonics session as well as three reading sessions which focus on their fluency, prosody and comprehension. Children explore a range of carefully selected picture books and texts, and they use these as a stimulus for their writing. Continuous provision is used within year 1 thus allowing a smoother and calmer transition from EYFS to KS1. Learning in year 1, is exciting and engaging and children often take part in experiences such as an animal experience day which they then use as a stimulus for their writing.

Year 2

In Year 2, children continue with the Little Wandle phonics programme if required. Alongside this, they complete a daily guided or independent reading session with a book that has been matched carefully to their reading ability. Some children are also supported with further reading intervention from our teaching assistants to ensure that they have the appropriate decoding and comprehension skills to enable them to access the curriculum.

Carefully selected pictures books, poems and non-fiction texts are used as a stimulus for writing in Year 2 and children write across a range of text types including: narrative, recount and report writing.

Year 3

In Year 3, a small number of children may continue with the Little Wandle Phonics programme if required to enable them to become proficient readers. Some children are also supported with further reading intervention from our teaching assistants to ensure that they have the appropriate decoding and comprehension skills to enable them to access the curriculum. Children in Year 3 take part in a shared reading session three times a week which focuses on a good readers do/can strategy. Teachers model and support children with the I do, we do, you do approach. Children in Year 3 at Thurnby Mead are exposed to a range of challenging and appropriate texts within shared reading as well as a range of comprehension questions to allow them to practise and apply their skills. In writing, children again explore a range of carefully selected picture, books, novels, poems and non-fiction texts. Grammar is embedded into our teaching sequence for writing and children are given the opportunity to practise various sentence types and grammatical structures before applying these to lengthier pieces of writing. Editing and improving writing is seen as a crucial part of the writing process at Thurnby Mead and children often redraft their work for their ‘Polished Pieces’ folder which they take through the school with them.

Year 4

Children in Year 4 take part in a shared reading session three times a week which focuses on a good readers do/can strategy. Teachers model and support children with the I do, we do, you do approach. Some children are also supported with further reading intervention from our teaching assistants to ensure that they have the appropriate decoding and comprehension skills to enable them to access the curriculum. Children in Year 4 at Thurnby Mead are exposed to a range of challenging and appropriate texts within shared reading as well as a range of comprehension questions to allow them to practise and apply their skills. In writing, children again explore a range of carefully selected picture books, novels, poems and non-fiction texts. The teaching of grammar is embedded into our teaching sequence for writing and children are given the opportunity to practise various sentence types and grammatical structures before applying these to lengthier pieces of writing. Editing and improving writing is seen as a crucial part of the writing process at Thurnby Mead and children often redraft their work for their ‘Polished Pieces’ folder which they take through the school with them.

Year 5

Children in Year 5 take part in a shared reading session three times a week which focuses on a good readers do/can strategy. Teachers model and support children with the I do, we do, you do approach. Some children also undertaken additional reading intervention to ensure that they can decode and comprehend effectively. Children in Year 5 at Thurnby Mead are exposed to a range of challenging and appropriate texts within shared reading as well as a range of comprehension questions to allow them to practise and apply their skills. In writing, children again explore a range of carefully selected picture books, novels, poems, and non-fiction texts. The teaching of grammar is embedded into our teaching sequence for writing and children are given the opportunity to practise various sentence types and grammatical structures before applying these to lengthier pieces of writing. Editing and improving writing is seen as a crucial part of the writing process at Thurnby Mead and children often redraft their work for their ‘Polished Pieces’ folder which they take through the school with them.

Year 6

Children in Year 6 take part in a shared reading session three times a week which focuses on a good readers do/can strategy. Teachers model and support children with the I do, we do, you do approach. Children in Year 6 at Thurnby Mead are exposed to a range of challenging and appropriate texts within shared reading as well as a range of comprehension questions to allow them to practise and apply their skills. In writing, children again explore a range of carefully selected picture books, novels, poems, and non-fiction texts. The teaching of grammar is embedded into our teaching sequence for writing and children are given the opportunity to practise various sentence types and grammatical structures before applying these to lengthier pieces of writing. Editing and improving writing is seen as a crucial part of the writing process at Thurnby Mead and children often redraft their work for their ‘Polished Pieces’ folder which they take through the school with them

DSP

Children within our DSP for speech, language, and communication needs, take part in daily Little Wandle phonics sessions that are targeted to their ability. Continuous provision is used within our DSP and children complete a range of activities, often centred around a core class text, which help them to develop their speech and language. Children have individualised targets within our DSP and these are at the forefront of our Literacy planning to ensure that all of our pupils make the most progress during their time with us. Children take part in experiences such as making chocolate cake and use these experiences as a stimulus for their writing and oracy activities. Developing our children’s confidence when speaking and communicating is also a crucial element within our DSP and therefore lots of oracy, performance and talk opportunities and carefully planned and prepared for our children.