Curriculum Intent

INTENT

At Cleveland Road Primary School, English teaching and learning is at the heart of every learning opportunity, whether formal or not. Our high-quality English learning journeys and lessons teach pupils to speak, listen, read and write fluently, creatively, confidently and effectively so that they can communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas to others and this enables others to communicate with them.

The children understand that reading is a powerful way for them to learn about themselves, others and the world which develops them culturally, emotionally, spiritually and socially. Reading and writing are thought of as a pleasure, helping children to acquire and develop knowledge and skills.

Quality talk is threaded through English learning, empowering children to share their own experiences, explore themes and study philosophical perspectives so as to enrich their reading and writing experiences and enhance outcomes. English teaching and learning will give the children agency; the confidence and skills to participate effectively in all areas of our school, our community and the wider world. 

Through our teaching of English, we aim to:

• Place English at the heart of all learning to promote life-long learning.
• Provide children with the essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society.
• Enhance their understanding of the world and the people within it and provide them with the chance to develop culturally, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, socially and spiritually. 
• Develop a love for, enjoyment of and appreciation of literature and ensure children have access to information from a variety of sources.
• Promote higher-order thinking and enable all children access the curriculum.
• Provide children with meaningful opportunities to use and apply their developing phonics knowledge and skills.
• Share the thinking involved in the reading process, including enthusing children to read aloud with expression.
• Equip children with skills that can be transferred, not only into all other areas of the curriculum, but into all areas of life.
• Create a ‘safe’ environment where children are comfortable to share their thoughts and opinions freely.
• Provide children with the necessary skills and vocabulary they require in order to communicate their ideas views and feelings.
• Develop confidence and self-esteem in day-to-day interaction with others.
• Allow children to communicate their ideas and feelings through language, expression and movement in real and imaginary contexts
• Develop the children’s awareness of the difference between spoken and written language including style, formality and tone. 
• Empower children to interpret the world around them and make sense of their experiences.
• Encourage children to reflective, with regard to both the reading and writing process.
• Promote independence and creativity whilst giving the children freedom of choice.
• Deepen children’s understanding of the intended purpose and audience for each piece of writing.
• Give the children opportunities to write for ‘real’ purposes.
• Provide children with the opportunity to explore and write different forms of writing.
• Embed the teaching of grammar, in order to give it context and enhance children’s understanding of its effect on the reader.
• Encourage children to take ‘risks’ with the work that, although may not always work, show they have attempted something new.

These aims enable our children to:

• Learn to read easily through phonics teaching and regular reading.
• Enable children to read fluently using their acquired skills of decoding words, understand extended prose and encourage them to read for pleasure in order to acquire knowledge and build on what they already know.
• Develop their understanding of the texts that they read including the key themes, plot and character development.
• Develop strategies to understand opportunities for the children to use newly-acquired vocabulary both orally and within their written work.
• Be curious and inquisitive by asking questions and discussing more challenging topic areas.
• Develop their self-confidence
• Express themselves creatively and imaginatively both orally and through the written word.
• Achieve the ability to use the English language effectively.
• Gain and understanding of how language works through exploring its patterns, structures and origins.
• Evaluate and understand the choices that authors make when writing a text and the intended impact they wish this to have on the reader.  
• Have clear intentions as a writer due to their understanding of the form, purpose and audience of a text.
• Use punctuation and grammar accurately and effectively in order to sustain control over their written pieces
• Realise that there are no ‘wrong’ answers and that not all of our best ideas come at once.
• Edit and redraft their own writing in order to refine their work and strengthen the impact upon the reader. 
• Develop a neat and cursive handwriting style that can be adapted for speed or neat writing.
• Acquire strategies to become independent and accurate spellers.
• Apply knowledge of both reading and writing across the curriculum.

IMPLEMENTATION

Curriculum

Across both key stages one and two, the study of Reading can be broken up into two programs of study

• Word reading
• Comprehension

Across both key stages one and two, the study of Writing can be broken up into two programs of study

• Transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• Composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)

When Planning English, we:

• Ensure that lessons are based on the National English Curriculum.
• Review, adapt and adjust the current daily lessons with carefully planned activities to meet children’s learning needs. Plans may be devised as a year group then tailored to a class, or by individual class teachers.
• Ensure that a typical English lesson in Cleveland Road Primary School lasts for 90 minutes, with 30 minutes dedicated to guided reading and 60 minutes to English, which may encompass all aspects of English.
• Children are spending quality time with the teacher for at least 30 minutes per week in their guided reading groups. Each child is encouraged to have an opinion during these lessons and contribute their ideas.
• Plan adequate time for children to independently apply the skills taught/revised in the main teaching part of the lesson.  
• Enable children to embrace the culture of reading for enjoyment by planning time into the timetable for them to read independently a book of their choice; furthermore, each class will have story time at the end of each day, where they listen to a teacher read the class book.
• Plan adequate hand writing lessons that teach the Nelson Handwriting scripture and allow children time to practise the skill, so they can develop their handwriting.
• Tailor the curriculum to pupils’ needs, including pupils working below the expected level, EAL and SEN, which enables them to make accelerated progress towards the age-related expectations.
• Develop English intervention programmes in order to raise achievement.
• Provide adequate opportunities for children to develop their oracy skills both in small and large group settings.
• Ensure that Gifted and Talented children are challenged through questioning, independent/paired tasks, work with differentiated outcomes and given opportunities to express their own creativity through free writing.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

• Teaching and learning in English will take place through the use of a variety of different pedagogical approaches, resources, experiences and take into account all learning styles.
• Areas and aspects of English are set out within the progression map for each year group and are based on the broadening of understanding of a wide range of texts, so the children are able to critically think, question and express their opinions/ideas both orally and written.
• The work in English is a mixture of class teaching, working cooperatively in groups and independent learning.
• Groups are usually of mixed ability and children are encouraged to communicate their views and opinions in a variety of ways.

IMPACT

As with all our subject teaching, we do not teach English in isolation to other curriculum areas; where possible, we relate the work undertaken to real life situations and we also aim to:

• Improve pupils' skills in Maths, Science, Geography, History, Art and Computing
• Develop pupils' critical thinking skills
• Develop pupils’ ability to ask questions
• Promote pupils' awareness and understanding of gender, cultural, spiritual and moral issues
• Develop pupils as active and responsible citizens within their own and wider communities