English

Speaking and Listening 

Children are encouraged by all staff to express themselves orally in an appropriate manner. Staff model how to match style and response to the audience and purpose. Children are able to demonstrate that they understand what makes a good listener and this skill is encouraged in all aspects of school life. Children are encouraged to make use of their speaking and listening skills when talking to adults around school. We make opportunities for children to speak to adults outside of school through a variety of real life projects and situations; we believe this empowers the children for the future. Pupils regularly plan and present whole school assemblies, further providing opportunities for children to talk to an audience.

Regular opportunities for speaking and listening are planned for within lessons throughout the curriculum, these take the form of drama and role play activities, hot seating and response partner work. When reading in class, children are encouraged to discuss their opinions of the book, make predictions and justify their reasoning.

Writing

English lessons are based around core texts, which children read, analyse the impact of author choices and discuss in depth. Writing activities are linked to the texts to ensure that they are purposeful and engaging. In line with the 2014 curriculum, when writing, pupils understand the following:

• There is a purpose to all types of writing.
• The need to consider their audience when writing.
• There are a range of text types; each with their own features and conventions to be applied when writing.
• Their writing must make sense and flow.
• The need to pay close attention to Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (EGPS) when working in order to improve the sense and clarity of their work.
• Writing is a process which allows for changes and edits to be made.
• A wide range of interesting and exciting vocabulary should be experimented with.
• They can look at and make use of existing real life examples when working.
• That writing is an enjoyable activity with great value.
• There are different dimensions to the writing process; immersion, practise and application.
• Handwriting - at Henwick, letter formation is taught during discrete handwriting lessons. Printed formation follows the Little Wandle formation programme and once this is accurate (usually in KS1), children begin to learn cursive script. Handwriting is clearly modelled and then practised.

Reading for Pleasure

Curriculum time is also allocated to reading for pleasure, for the joy of reading.  In order that the children gain a life-long love of reading, we provide them with a wide range of stimuli, including visual media. These include diverse, interesting, age-appropriate books in class reading corners as well as the beautiful school library and extensive stock of levelled reading books. It is through our resources that children are able to read widely across fiction and non-fiction, experiencing a range of text types. 

Author visits and ‘book themed’ days ensure that reading is prioritised and promoted across the curriculum. Authors are invited to school, opportunities to dress up as book characters are provided and parents and carers are invited into classes and encouraged to share their much loved books with the children. We also host book fairs, which provide parents and carers the opportunity to spend time with their children choosing books to purchase for home.