English
Mrs E Clarke and Mrs D Smith are our English Subject Leaders.
eclarke@trawden.lancs.sch.uk dsmith@trawden.lancs.sch.uk
Intent
It is our intention to provide pupils with a high-quality education in English that will teach pupils to speak, read and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others effectively.
Speaking and Listening
Beginning in Reception and continuing through all Primary years, the children develop their capacity to express themselves effectively for a variety of purposes. Working with adults and other children, their activities include listening, giving opinions, replying to instructions and questions, describing experiences and feelings. Starting in EYFS and KS1, children re-tell familiar stories using actions and story maps following our ‘Talk for Writing’ approach.
As the children progress through the school, they extend these skills to recount events, tell more complex stories, take on dramatic roles, report, summarise and predict. Children are also provided with opportunities to compose, recite and perform poetry. Class assemblies give the children a chance to showcase their learning to parents and the rest of the school.
It is usual for EYFS children to perform in a Christmas Nativity and Year 6 to end the year with a summer show.
Reading
At Trawden, reading is at the heart of everything we do and we are constantly seeking ways to ensure all our children enjoy reading. We provide a whole range of opportunities to expose the children to as many different texts as possible. We know, and the research tells us, that encouraging reading for pleasure is transformative for children’s futures “We are placing a huge focus on 'reading for pleasure' across the school as a way to bridge the vocabulary gap and enthuse pupils to become lifelong readers.”
At Trawden Forest Primary School, children learn not only the mechanics of reading, but to become accomplished, comprehending readers, developing the habit of silent reading and a love of reading for life.
We base our English lessons around the Lancashire units to ensure we are using high quality literature across the school.
Each class has a designated reading area to help promote the love and high importance that reading holds in our school. We have a fabulous library where there is a range of fiction and non-fiction books which the children are able to take home. Our highly knowledgeable staff uses their love of reading to promote reading for enjoyment and to make recommendations to children from EYFS to Y6. The team of very willing junior librarians are all superb advocates of promoting reading for pleasure. A variety of events such as World Book Day and Bedtime Story Day are held annually purely for enjoyment. Our Year 6 buddies listen to children read in KS1.
Parents are encouraged to share a home reading book with their child, listen to them read and write a comment in their Reading Record.
Bug Club Phonics
As soon as children start in EYFS at Trawden Forest Primary School, they begin their reading journey. Throughout, EYFS and Year 1 the children are taught phonics daily, using the Bug Club Scheme.
All children working up to Phase 5 of the phonics programme will be set eBooks on Bug Club which are fully decodable in line with the National Curriculum expectations. The focus sounds within books are carefully matched to recently taught sounds. They also have access on Bug Club to a full range of topic eBooks which they can choose themselves to promote reading for pleasure. As well as this they can choose a book of interest from our school library.
In the summer term of Year 1, our children take part in the National Phonics Screening Test. In Year 2, the majority of children then move onto the Bug Club spelling programme which begins with a recap of Phase 5 phonics and moves onto learning the Year 2 spelling rules. Where our children do not pass the Phonics Screening Test or have gaps in their learning, these children continue to be taught phonics using the Bug Club Scheme.
Children in Key Stage 2 who may be new to English or who continue to need support with phonics are carefully grouped and have daily interventions with highly trained staff.
Writing
Spelling, Handwriting and Composition - these strands go hand in hand throughout the Curriculum.
Children at Trawden Forest Primary School develop a growing ability to write in a range of styles and writing outcomes are always purposeful and seek ‘real’ audiences through publication and display.
Teachers follow the Talk for Writing approach and use oral work as a prelude to most writing tasks and vocabulary is explicitly taught. Writing tasks are broken down into smaller steps with feedback given from the class teacher at different stages (e.g. brainstorming, planning, boxing up, drafting and editing). Emphasis is laid upon drafting, as a process to encourage children to improve the construction, spelling and layout of their written work. Teachers use the Lancashire units to plan from which ensures coverage of the National Curriculum and progression as children move up the school.
From Year 2 spelling is taught explicitly and teachers follow a set format to teach spelling, this means there is a consistent approach across school and children understand the process of learning to spell. Their learning begins by recapping and then following on from the Bug Club phonics scheme, which EYFS and Year 1 teachers use to deliver our phonics teaching. Much of the children’s writing is developed from the use of high-quality literature and non-fiction texts, as the children respond to plot, character, illustration and ideas. Our aim, over time, is to ensure our children become accomplished proficient spellers – much needed in these days of text speak.
Grammar is taught to all children with teachers using the Lancashire units to plan for progression and coverage. Grammar is always linked closely to the literature they are studying.
Children in EYFS and Year 1 develop correct letter formation by using a letter formation handwriting programme. Formal teaching of handwriting is carried out regularly and systematically to ensure Key Stage targets are met. Year 2 and all Key Stage 2 children are taught a cursive style.
