English

At Byron Primary School, we provide children with the opportunity to learn key English skills based on exciting and interesting books. This allows children to enjoy reading a variety of different text types as well as see good examples for their own writing.  Our children are immersed through a variety of texts, film clips, posters, books, visits and visitors. 

As the majority of our children have English as an additional language we ensure our curriculum is language rich and promotes oracy.  We want children to discuss their learning and communicate their enjoyment. We see opportunities to read and write across all subjects within a broad curriculum.  We develop core skills to ensure children's writing is of the same standard across all subjects, publishing their work to gain a sense of pride in their presentation.

Our English Curriculum is taught in specific English lessons and through work across other subjects in the curriculum. English lessons help to develop skills in reading and writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting. We expect children to write to the same standard in the foundation subjects as they do in English.

At Byron, we interest the children in their learning with a cross-curricular approach. To do this, we base our learning around a whole class text linked to their current Geography/History topic, which extends their learning opportunities beyond that particular subject area.

In addition to this, early readers have specific programmes of work in Phonics daily whereas KS1 and KS2 children have discrete reading lessons twice weekly.

Phonics and reading

Early readers have daily phonics lessons, which give children the stepping stones to break down unknown words into readable chunks. Phonics is not the only reading method, but is a very useful tool for children trying to make sense of texts that they do not understand. The core scheme at Byron is Read Write Inc (RWI) and our phonics leader is Mr Atkinson.

Early readers read decodable RWI books matched to their phonic ability. All other children access Accelerated Reader as a home reading scheme. Reading comprehension is taught during whole-class discrete reading sessions. Children have the opportunity to predict, clarify, and read for fluency, skimming and scanning to use evidence from the text to answer comprehension questions. Comprehension skills are checked further through the reading element of the English cycle.

Children learn the structures of texts, the grammatical structures used, the features included in non-fiction and a wider variety of themes and concepts.

At the end of KS1, we want our children to independently use their phonic knowledge to read fluently by sounding out and blending unfamiliar words. Children should be reading age-appropriate books with increasing fluency and expression. They should make predictions and inferences based on what they have read themselves and what has been read to them by others.

By the end of KS2, children should be confident in the skills they have been taught. They should be able to confidently read aloud with intonation and expression with the ability to evaluate, comment and compare different styles of text. 

Throughout their time at Byron, Children develop an increasing knowledge of different authors and genres to help provide an understanding of people, places and events outside of their own experience. This helps build their social-emotional skills and of course, their imagination.

Writing

Across school, we use the National Curriculum expectations to outline a clear sequence for the teaching of skills-based writing (shared, guided, modelled and independent writing). We have a three- phased approach, which begins with a ‘cold’ write, and ends with a ‘hot’ write. Children are provided with an engaging whole class text as a basis for producing their own writing. Pupils develop their punctuation, grammar and spelling skills through sentence level work linked with the class text where possible. They are then given opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences, adapting the language and style according to purpose.

We teach cursive style handwriting. Pupils develop fluent lines of correctly orientated letters throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 developing a comfortable pencil grip and the ability to form letters using the correct sequence of movements. By the end of Year 2 Children are expected to begin using joined handwriting. These skills are extended further as the children move through Key Stage 2.

By the end of KS1, children should be able to apply their phonics knowledge by using strategies taught in Phonics lessons to enable them to write simple narratives independently.

In KS2, children should be able to write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes. Children should use a range of punctuation, tenses and dialogue in their writing effectively alongside appropriate grammar and vocabulary. Handwriting should be fluent and in a joined, cursive style.

Spelling

Throughout schoolchildren are expected to learn spellings appropriate to their age group. In Reception and Year 1, weekly spellings are linked to phonics teaching.

For all other children we follow the ‘No Nonsense’ Spelling Scheme where children learn strategies to help them spell unfamiliar words.

Speaking and Listening

At Byron, children are given opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills through Dialogic Talk activities including but not limited to group discussions, presenting, debates, speaking and listening tasks.

Promoting a Love of Reading

  • High visibility- our reading environments are inclusive and empowering
  • Adults as role models - our reading offer is nurturing and community inspired
  • Quality provision - the texts that we provide are language rich and challenging
  • Bringing in the experts - reading visits and visitors are inspiring

 

Things we do to promote the love of reading:

  • High quality reading areas well stocked with a variety of quality texts-supplemented by the Library Loans Service
  • Dedicated reading for enjoyment sessions
  • Recommended reading lists
  • Peer Reading Buddies and Adult Reading Volunteers
  • Discrete reading skills lessons
  • Access to reading across all curriculum areas
  • Weekly library visits
  • Reading competitions and reading events
  • Visiting authors and reading workshops
  • Parent workshops and partnership learning sessions
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