We strive to ensure all our pupils develop a love of reading and work hard to ensure these reading skills, vocabulary choices and creative ideas link directly to the children’s writing. We follow The National Curriculum's guidance and teach the three distinct areas of Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing, (which includes handwriting and spelling.)
We provide books for children to share and read at home throughout the year and a home reading record to encourage parents to make comments as part of the dialogue between home and school. In addition, Reception children take home phonetically decodable books to share with their parents. Children are encouraged to use the school selection to change books, gather information from reference books and browse. A range of events that promote reading are held throughout the year, including visits from authors and theatre groups. Furthermore, annual book days are held, when children (and staff) are encouraged to dress up as a favourite book character!
All writing outcomes are based around quality texts that children will read in class through shared and individual reading. Teachers plan writing opportunities that provide writing for a reason and give each piece of writing a real purpose. Spellings and English home learning are introduced from Year 1 upwards and focus on Phonics in Reception and spelling rules thereafter. We also teach a variety of 'sentence types' in Year 1 upwards to support the children's writing as well as embedding drafting, editing and re-drafting of their writing.
We celebrate the children’s writing each week in collective worship and each classroom has examples of the children’s most recent work on their working walls.
