Our English curriculum aims to inspire children to become creative and critical thinkers. We believe that it is the right of every child to become a competent and confident user of the English language; able to live, work and succeed in the literate world. Children will be able to communicate fluently and confidently, using a wide vocabulary accurately and effectively. They will be able to critique a range of fiction and non-fiction texts, appreciating a rich and varied literary heritage.

Children will be inspired to become imaginative writers who can write coherently with a high level of accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar; children will be able to adapt their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. English provides the fundamental building blocks for students to succeed in all subjects; a high level of literacy provides the vehicle needed to unpick key concepts across the curriculum. This, alongside carefully selected texts appropriate to our contexts, develops the cultural capital needed to succeed in life. Crucially, we aim to foster a love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

Aims

The aims of teaching English are:

• To develop a love of reading and writing
• To ensure children read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• To provide opportunities so that children develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• To ensure children acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• To allow children to appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• To develop children’s ability to read and write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• To provide opportunities for  discussions where children are able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• To develop learners who are competent in the arts of speaking and listening.

For more information, please see the Futura Curriculum for English (Pdf)

Read Write Inc

At Wansdyke Primary School we use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI) to give every child the best possible start to reading.  We are passionate that children learn to read as quickly as possible but to keep reading – to read widely and often and to be lifelong readers. Research shows that children who read widely and often, are children who go on to succeed in school. Through the use of the RWI programme as a whole school approach to teaching early reading, delivered by an enthusiastic and a highly skilled team of teachers, every child will learn to read and develop a love for reading. RWI is taught daily in phase 1 and for children in phase 2 (as appropriate).

In Read Write Inc. Phonics pupils:

• Decode letter-sound correspondences quickly and effortlessly, using their phonic knowledge and skills
• Read common exception words on sight
• Understand what they read
• Read aloud with fluency and expression
• Write confidently
• Spell quickly and easily by segmenting the sounds in words
• Acquire good handwriting.

More information about RWI.

• Handwriting phrases (Pdf)
• Parent/carer FAQs and glossary booklet (Pdf)
• Reading at home booklet 1 (Pdf)
• Reading at home booklet 2 (Pdf)
• Read Write Inc policy (Pdf)

Accelerated Reader

Once children have completed the RWI programme, they will then select appropriate reading books related to their reading age using a programme called Accelerated Reader (AR). AR is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Each child picks a book at his/her own level and reads it at his/her own pace. When finished, children take a short quiz- passing the quiz is an indication that a child has understood what has been read.