English

At Ingleton C of E Primary School we are guided by the National Curriculum for English.

The overarching aim for English in the National Curriculum is 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 from 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.

English Curriculum Statement

Reading and Phonics Intent

At Ingleton, we value reading as a key life skill, and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and we strongly promote reading for pleasure, both at home and at school, aspiring for all children to have a love of all things reading. To celebrate children’s achievements in reading and phonics we dedicate time within our weekly collective worship, encourage children to fill their reading bookmark in exchange for rewards and a book, as well as children in Upper Key Stage 2 having the opportunity to take home the reading suitcase to share a book of their choice and hot chocolate with an adult at home. We strive to develop children’s confidence and resilience through our English curriculum. We believe reading is key for academic success and so to ensure we have a holistic approach to the teaching of reading, we implement the following.

  • Children take part in weekly whole class Guided Reading sessions, where children are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate their understanding and thinking behind these. In addition to this, children have daily individual reading session, either independently or reading to a member of staff.
  • We are very lucky to have a wide range of reading books in our new school library. All children from Pre-School to Year 6 choose a reading book to take home and this reading book is changed weekly. For our upper Key Stage Two children, who are reading lengthier books, these are changed as and when required. In addition to our new school library, children in Year 2 to Year 6 have access to Accelerated Reader which the school has recently purchased. This is aimed to promote a love of reading whilst assessing children’s reading skills at the same time.
  • Each classroom will have a selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, in their classroom which are directly linked with the class topic. This offers opportunities for the children to apply their reading skills across the curriculum.
  • Children are read to each day by their class teacher. These story times texts have been mapped out in accordance to their age, interests, curriculum links and classic literature.
  • Weekly, children have the opportunity to take part in ‘Reading Buddies’, in which children mix with other children from different year groups and share a book together.
Children in Reception and Year 1, who are not yet accessing the Accelerated Reader programme, will work through our school reading scheme – these are decodable reading books which match the children’s current reading age and phonics ability. We encourage family at home to read these books with their child regularly and make comments in their child’s reading record. By the time children leave Ingleton C of E they are competent readers who can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a range of genres including poetry, and participate in discussions about books, including evaluating an author’s use of language and the impact this can have on the reader.

At Ingleton, we use a synthetic phonics programme called Sounds-Write. As part of this, children across the School (Reception to Year 6) have daily phonics sessions in year groups where they participate in speaking, listening, reading and spelling activities that are matched to their developing needs. The teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are stretched and challenged and to identify children who may need additional support; with these children receiving three times per week one to one phonics interventions. Children work through the different phases, learning and developing their phonics sounds and knowledge. Children in Pre-School have a discreet daily 10 minutes phase 1 phonics session. Phase 1 phonics is incredibly important to develop children’s speaking and listening skills as well as oral blending and segmenting skills; which are the foundations that children need to support their reading and writing skills.

Implementation

The School’s English Subject Leaders are given 2 x planning days per year, in addition to their PPA, to plan the School’s reading and phonics curriculum. As part of this planning process, teachers need to plan the following:

  • A cycle of Guided Reading lessons, using a wide range of different texts;
  • Question stems and learning objectives which are used to inform questions based on the class text;
  • A series of reading questions relating to the VIPERS, appropriate to the guided reading text;
  • A list of linked vocabulary which appears in the class text. In addition to this, teachers must plan time for children in Years 2-6 to be tested using the Accelerated Reader program. Once children have completed reading an AR book, they must take an online quiz. When children have completed 3 quizzes and scored 80% or higher, they then move onto the next level. Teachers must assess children regularly against the Reading Key Performance Indicators (in Years 2-6). These regular assessments inform planning and allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning. Teachers also complete regular reading assessments with all children and Sounds Write diagnostic tests with the lowest 20% of children in each year group.

Impact

Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. This way, children can focus on developing their fluency and comprehension as they move through the school. Attainment in reading is measured using the statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage One and Two. These results are measured against the reading attainment of children nationally. Attainment in phonics is measured by the Phonics Screening Test at the end of Year 1. However, we firmly believe that reading is the key to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments. We give all children the opportunity to enter the magical worlds that books open up to them. We promote reading for pleasure as part of our reading curriculum. Children are encouraged to develop their own love of genres and authors and to review their books objectively. This enhances a deep love of literature across a range of genres, cultures and styles.

Writing Intent

At Ingleton we endeavor to create a love for literacy. We want every child to leave our School with the skills of an excellent writer who:

  • Has the ability to write with fluency and has an author’s voice;
  • Can think about the impact they want their writing to have on the reader and knows how they will achieve this;
  • Has a sophisticated bank of vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description;
  • Can structure and organise their writing to suit the genre they are writing and include a variety of sentence structures;
  • Displays excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented, punctuated, spelled correctly and neat;
  • Re-reads, edits and improves their writing so every piece of writing they produce is to the best of their ability and better than the last.
Throughout their time at Ingleton CofE Primary School, children develop their skills by exploring a whole range of different genres, with a focus on exploring a range of models of excellence and using these to guide the drafting and editing process. It is important to note that we not only develop a real enjoyment of writing in English lessons but in all subjects across the curriculum. We expect the highest standards of writing every time a child writes in any subject.

Implementation

The School’s English Subject Leaders have worked together to plan a 2 year English curriculum centered around teaching reading and writing via different literature and storybooks ensuring that the books chosen have a balance between archaic language, non-linear time sequences, are narratively complex, figurative/symbolic text and resistant texts. This is to ensure that the children in all year groups from Reception – Year 6 are able to successfully navigate reading and writing with confidence. All texts are taught using a vocabulary rich and a mastery to writing approach, The Write Stuff, with all texts mapped out to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum Statutory requirements.

From the long-term English curriculum plan, teacher’s need to plan the following:

  • A medium-term plan, and a short-term weekly plan that includes the vocabulary to be taught, this is generally linked to Vocabulary Ninja and The Write Stuff Unit plans.
  • Educational visits and visiting experts who will stimulate and focus creative writing experiences.
  • Weekly experience days linked to the class text take place to allow children to gather knowledge and high quality vocabulary that can be used within their writing.
  • Opportunities for children to write at length using a wide range of genres.

Impact

Our Writing curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

  • A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes;
  • Children can understand and apply the fundamental principles of spelling grammar and punctuation in their writing;
  • Children can evaluate, improve and redraft their writing;
  • Children are responsible, competent, confident and creative writer’s;
  • A celebration of learning each week identifying English stars of the week, showcasing their writing to the whole School community;
  • Children develop an author’s voice;
  • Children communicate clearly using accurate grammar, punctuation, handwriting and spelling.
  • Children will develop competence in transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing) at national expectation and at greater depth.

Intent statement for Greater Depth Writing across all year groups

Using all of their year group skills independently and consistently children will produce an accurate and coherent piece of writing; drawing on their wider reading experiences. Children will choose and maintain their level of formality, deliberately writing for the correct purpose and audience. They will correctly use a range of punctuation taught within their key stage to ensure coherence and clarity within their writing. A greater depth child should be able to confidently transfer these skills across writing in all curriculum areas.

Downloads

Reception & Year 1 English LTP

Year 2, Year 3 & Year 4 English LTP

Year 5 & Year 6 English LTP

Reading Progression of Skills

Writing Progression of Skills