English

At Whitehill, we value highly the importance of children’s skills in reading, writing and spoken language. At the heart of our approach to English is reading.

Reading underpins all areas of learning as the development of language comprehension is vital for all learning. Throughout the school we use CLPE’s Power of Reading approach to put quality texts at the centre of our English curriculum. This allows us to select quality, rich books to meet the needs of children and to provide them with experience, characters and settings vital for young people’s overall growth. Texts progress and outcomes increase as the children move up through the key stages.

In the Early Years and Key Stage 1 we use elements of Read, Write, Inc to develop phonics and guided reading in a systematic and rigorous manner. Children’s skills, knowledge and understanding are developed sequentially to then assist them in their reading ability.

We want our children to be creative writers who read for pleasure, as well as for information. They learn a wide range of vocabulary and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and the spoken language. We instill in our children the importance of discussion to learn; they are taught to be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas. We believe that children should be able to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading, children have the chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In Reception, children will start to learn how to form letters correctly. They will be encouraged to use their knowledge of phonics to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. By the end of the year, they will be expected to write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)

In Year 1, children will be taught to write sentences by saying out loud what they are going to write about, put several sentences together and re-read their writing to check it makes sense. They will also be expected to discuss what they have written and to read it aloud.

In Year 2, children learn to write for a range of purposes, including stories, information texts and poetry. Children are encouraged to plan what they are going to write and to read through their writing to make corrections and improvements.

Key stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

In Years 3 and 4, children are encouraged to draft and write by talking about their writing. They will continue to learn how to organise paragraphs and, if they are writing non-fiction, to use headings. When they are writing stories, they will learn to use settings, characters and plots. Children in Years 3 and 4 will be expected to use what they know about grammar in their writing and to read through what they have written, to find ways to improve it.

In Years 5 and 6, children will continue to develop their skills in planning, drafting and reviewing what they have written. Children learn to identify the audience for and purpose of their writing. They will be expected to use grammar appropriately. In non-fiction writing, children will use headings, bullet points and other ways to organise their writing. They will be expected to describe settings, characters and to use dialogue in their stories.

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