Common Road Infant and Nursery School
English Statement of Intent
Intent
At Common Road Infant and Nursery School we believe that a quality Literacy (English) curriculum should develop children’s love of reading, writing and discussion. We aim to immerse children in a reading culture and develop a habit of reading widely and often. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and who can use discussion to communicate and further their learning.
We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge base in Literacy, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. We believe that a secure basis in literacy skills is crucial to a high quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.
Aim
To establish an effective ‘English Journey’ from EYFS through KS1 which secures an upward trend and improved outcomes at the end of EYFS and KS1.
So that all pupils are:
- Confident speakers, readers and writers
- Independent speakers, readers and writers
- Resilient speakers, readers and writers
- To enable the school to:
- Reverse the current downward trend
- Secure improved reading and writing outcomes for all pupils including the bottom 20%
Implementation
Reading and Phonics
Phase 1 Letters and Sounds is taught daily in Nursery. Read, Write, Inc., a systematic phonics programme, is taught daily in Reception until the children have completed the programme in Year 2. When the programme is completed, Year 2 children are taught SPAG.
The school gives high priority to reading, our children are exposed to a range of quality texts, and there are areas around school where children are encouraged to enjoy reading for pleasure. All children take home a library book weekly. When children are able to blend they also take home a phonically decodable book that matches their Read, Write, Inc. band. Once a child has completed the Read, Write, Inc. programme, they select a book from the appropriate book band. All children read during Read, Write, Inc. sessions and are heard read at least once a week by a member of staff
In Years 1 and 2 children have guided reading sessions three times a week with a focus on comprehension. Children are asked to answer questions from the five reading domains.
Quality story sessions are timetabled in daily and there is an emphasis on developing a love of books, vocabulary and understanding.
Spoken Language
Spoken language is part of every lesson. Throughout the school day and in all subjects children are encouraged to listen and respond appropriately to adults and children, ask and answer questions, speaking audibly and fluently. Vocabulary is built up through the range of topics and quality texts as outlined previously. All year groups have a word of the week and build up ‘wow’ words linked to topics and key texts. A trained practitioner assesses children in EYFS using ECAT (Every Child a Talker) and the environment and planning is adapted to meet the needs of all children.
Impact
Our aim is to have a community of enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy showcasing their developing literacy knowledge and skills. They are confident to take risks in their reading and writing, and love to discuss and share their ideas. This will be reflected by improved attainment at the end of EYFS and KS1 2020.
