At Slingsby C P we ensure English lessons are engaging and varied and our passion and enthusiasm for this subject ensures the children are keen to make progress.
Children at Slingsby are encouraged to develop a lifelong love of reading. We like to choose texts that may be perceived as ‘outside their comfort zone’ to broaden their literary experiences. Learning is linked to stories and texts wherever possible and ideas are formulated throughout the week using talk, reading and writing to improve the basic skills of all children.
We use discrete phonic teaching as a starting point (Little Wandle Phonics) – Phonics and early reading policy January 2022
Intent:
- Handwriting and presentation of work is of a high standard across all subjects to ensure consistency.
- Writing shows an improved use of skill in sentence construction, structure of writing and grammar.
- Children know from effective marking and feedback what their target is.
- Subject design is bespoke, effective and enables children to show progress.
- Children will be able to confidently talk about their own learning –both present and previous with enthusiasm, and also be encouraged to be independent, ambitious, resilient and driven learners for life.
- Every child is provided with the skills to be a fluent and confident reader, and develops a life-long passion in reading for enjoyment.
Implementation:
- Ensure that handwriting is practiced a minimum of once a week and further specific practice is carried out in smaller group work.
- Book scrutiny take place to ensure that work is consistently of a high standard in all subjects.
- Resources available for the children to access independently. These range from topic word mats, Common exception word mats, dictionaries and thesauruses.
- Marking and feedback to children is both written and oral, and is consistent, effective and efficient in promoting learning.
- Moderation takes place as part of a weekly staff meeting to review books, work completed and presentation of writing.
- Moderation takes place across the cluster.
- Moderation training carried out by KS1 and KS2 teachers has reinforced what is being done across the school and what needs to be worked on going forward. Mr Smith and Mrs Jordan have trained as LEA Moderators for the past 3 years.
- Children are encouraged to read for pleasure and enjoy a greater breath of books being read by the class teacher and also incorporating free reading sessions as part of guided reading activities.
Impact:
- Children are aware of the areas that they need to improve and are working hard to achieve this.
- Data reviewed by all staff on a more regular basis and feeling confident to have professional conversations and challenge each other.
- Children understand the progress they are making and also next steps for their learning. This is evidenced in their books and through conversation with the children directly.
Children are motivated to read a greater range of books for enjoyment.
