English
Intent, Implementation & Impact in English
Reading in EYFS, KS1 & KS2
At Tattingstone we believe in fostering an interest and pleasure in reading which continues to develop as the children learn to read confidently and independently.
The school follows the Read, Write, Inc. phonics programme throughout the school, teaching pupils in 'phonic families' to suit their ability for between 20 - 30 minutes per day. All children take part in daily quiet reading, either independently or with an adult as well as regularly repeated oral reading sessions. Within school, pupils read the Read, Write, Inc. fiction and non-fiction books which accompany the phonics scheme. As well as these books, all pupils are issued with a reading book to take home and share with an adult.
As pupils become more competent in their reading they are able to access the Accelerated Reader programme. Children are assessed to gauge which level of books they should read. Pupils are then issued with books at the appropriate level but they are also told it is ok to read outside of their level. When they have read the book they take a quiz on the computer to judge their understanding, or comprehension of the book. As pupils improve and read towards the upper end of their range they are re-assessed and they are able to choose books from a more difficult range. To check if a book that your child wants to read is on Accelerated Reader, just go to the following link AR Book Finder and type in the book name - be careful with spelling as it is a very specific search system.
In Key Stage 2, pupils are exposed to an ever widening range of material in order to promote enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers. Shared reading, together with shared writing, continues to be a feature of the reading programme. They enjoy regular repeated oral reading sessions which are where the teacher reads an extract of a books whilst the children track their own copy, the children then read aloud to a partner & then they swap & repeat. This repeated reading encourages the children to develop fluency in their reading. When the teacher reads the extract first they discuss the meaning of different words, the use of different fonts, word choice etc so that, when the child comes to read, they already have all of this knowledge in their mind.
Writing in EYFS, KS1 & KS2
In EYFS the children have lots of fun first building a solid foundation to their writing journey; they are busy mark-making in a wide variety of media, building story maps with real-life objects, acting out stories, working on building words and sentences with magnetic letters and moving onto more formal writing when they are ready.
Throughout Tattingstone Primary English lessons are taught in units planned around high-quality, challenging texts. The children are immersed in these engaging texts, exploring characters, settings, storylines and themes. These units are planned using writing initiatives such CLPE’s ‘Power of Reading’. The writing skills developed form part of a whole-school skills progression, allowing children to master age-appropriate skills quickly. The teachers can then provide timely challenge or support where needed.
We believe that children’s learning is enhanced when they are writing for a purpose, so we structure our units to allow pupils to focus on one key writing purpose at a time – writing to entertain, persuade or inform, for example. This approach means that children spend time gaining a thorough understanding of how to write for a specific purpose and what skills to employ. The teaching of English and the required skills takes place every day. Teachers use the chosen text to analyse and model positive writing techniques through a variety of activities, challenges, discussions and games.
Information for adults on KS2 SATs
Link to the government website with information for adults on KS2 SATs
Examples of the KS2 Expected Standard
The government have provided examples of writing for KS2 to identify the language, punctuation and grammar that needs to be included to be successful at different levels (working towards expected level, expected level and working at greater depth level). All SPAG features are highlighted in different genres of writing. Please see the link below.