English

The whole curriculum at Denaby Main Primary Academy is underpinned by our core values: scholarship, tenacity, curiosity, aspiration and empathy. We believe that all children should have access to as many opportunities as possible so that they develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the world and their role within it. We encourage our children to develop independence and resilience and to have high aspirations for themselves.

The teaching and learning of English is fundamental to ensure all children’s success as a life-long learner, and citizen of the world. Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening skills are explicitly taught at every phase of a child’s education and it is paramount that children make positive starts at Denaby Main Primary Academy.

We recognise that developing reading, writing and speaking and listening skills discreetly, in English lessons, as well as embedding these within all curriculum subjects is vital. We therefore provide opportunities for this through our curriculum model, incorporating carefully chosen ‘core texts’ through which to teach reading and inspire writing outcomes. Our reading and writing curriculum ensures curriculum, as well as genre coverage, and aims to develop a love of learning as well as providing specific links to learning in other subject areas. This helps the children to be more successful across the curriculum, whilst also enriching their lives beyond school. The teaching and learning of language skills are, therefore, given a high priority in our school.

Please click on our curriculum documents to view the progression of English.

EYFS Links to National Curriculum (Reception.)

EYFS Links to National Curriculum ( Nursery)

2023 KS1 Annual Plan – updated May 23

Annual Plan KS2 2023 – updated May 23

Denaby Main Reading reading for pleasure overiew (2)

Reading at Denaby Main Primary Academy

Intent:

At Denaby Main, we want children to develop an appreciation and love of reading. We are committed to sharing high quality and vocabulary rich texts across the curriculum so that children may develop knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live. We encourage our pupils to discover new information and develop their comprehension skills by reading widely using both fiction and non-fiction texts which (where possible) are linked to their topics across the curriculum. We are lucky to have a wide range of books in school and class teachers select books to read aloud based on personal choices or suggestions from pupils. By the time our pupils leave Denaby, we envisage that they will be competent readers who can recommend books to their peers, seek out books from a range of different genres including poetry and engage in discussion about authorial choices or impact on the reader. Once our pupils have unlocked the key to reading here with us at Denaby, it is our intention that they will be able to apply their reading skills in order to access any subject in their secondary education and beyond.

At Denaby Main Primary Academy, we regard the teaching of Reading highly.

Our aim is to offer the strongest SSP (Systematic and Synthetic phonics) teaching which is taught consistently through Read Write Inc. and ensures that pupils’ make the strongest start, so that their confidence in reading and language comprehension can be built upon year after year. Pupils should always be ready for the next stage of their progressive reading journey, through explicit teaching and timely interventions.

Language comprehension and understanding is taught alongside the SSP from the very beginning and is developed over time so that pupils develop their listening and reading comprehension with deliberate teaching and practice.

Through a broad range of high-quality texts, pupils will have the chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Reading for pleasure and for information is habitual and pupils will have the opportunities to read widely and often to encourage this. All pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world they live in, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum.

Implementation:

Early Reading

When children first start at Denaby Main, they begin to follow the Read, Write, Inc. systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) scheme. This is taught in a progressive way until children complete the programme. Children, who are within Reception and KS1, are taught each day in small groups to learn sounds and reading skills according to their ability which is regularly assessed. The Phonics Leader oversees the teaching of the scheme and teachers attend regular training to ensure that their skills are constantly being developed. Where needed, children will be given focused 1-2-1 (fast track tutoring) or small group support to help develop their knowledge of the sounds or word blending.

Reading Curriculum

From Year 3, children take part in a daily reading lesson. During the sessions, children develop both their reading and comprehension skills using a range of text types. 3/5 sessions focus on the core text being studied and 2/5 sessions cover other texts including non-fiction and poetry genres. This Reading approach ‘develops pupils’ capability to support their reading and writing, support pupils to develop fluent reading capabilities, teach reading comprehension strategies through modelling and supported practice’. (EEF)

Each session begins with either a recap of the core text being studied, or other texts that have been read that are similar in content or genre, or with a discussion about any links across the curriculum or information about the author. Then there is a focus on the key vocabulary to build understanding of the text. Children are then given an opportunity to read, along with the teacher, before ‘jumping in’ to quick retrieval questions to check understanding. The lesson structure then incorporates a fluency practice, which includes text marking to support pupils to read with emphasis or ‘echo reading’, and a series of structured comprehension questions, using the VIPERS (vocabulary, infer, predict, explain, retrieve, summarise/sequence) model as the basis for questioning.

There is a yearly overview of texts that have been carefully mapped out to ensure a balance of themes/genres and also to provide a range of links to other curriculum areas. This enables to children to apply knowledge they have learnt to their English reading lessons, and also apply their knowledge of reading into their learning across the curriculum.

Individual Reading
In addition to daily Read, Write, Inc or class reading sessions, children read with adults individually to develop their skills. Children are sent home with decodable reading books matched closely to the phonics scheme and then later in school, with books that are at an age appropriate level. We encourage parents to read with their children and record this in their Reading Record book; this is rewarded in school. Parents in EYFS and KS1 are also invited in to our weekly reading mornings.

Reading for Pleasure

In addition, reading is incorporated into learning across the curriculum, through providing the children with opportunity to read in other subjects and by providing an environment that promotes a love of reading and supports learning in other curriculum areas.

Furthermore, in all classes from Nursery to Y6, there is a daily class storytime. This is a time for the children to enjoy an adult reading to them and may include a wide variety of texts ranging from the core texts being studied, short stories, a different class novel used purely because the children like it or the author, or have asked for it.

Children also visit our school library at least once a week to enjoy the wide range of books that are on offer and can choose books to take back with them to read with pleasure.

Reading is assessed each term. These assessments further help the teacher is assessing the next steps of learning for each child.

Impact:

Teachers use assessment as an integral part of the teaching and learning process and link it clearly to the children’s next steps. Teachers record and track each child’s progress and use this to set future targets. They use a variety of formative and summative assessment methods and constructive marking strategies.

All children should be confident with word reading and comprehension relevant to their attainment level. By the time they leave Denaby Main Primary Academy, pupils should be able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject as they progress into secondary education, as well seeing themselves as a reader who enjoys reading for choice, pleasure, interest, information, challenge and enjoyment across a variety of topics and themes, throughout their lives.

Writing at Denaby Main Primary Academy

Intent:

We believe that all pupils should be able to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through their writing. We want pupils to acquire a wide vocabulary, a solid understanding of grammar and be able to spell new words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school. We want them to write clearly, accurately, coherently, and creatively, adapting their language and style for a range of meaningful contexts, purposes and audiences.
Handwriting, spelling and grammar will be explicitly taught to ensure that children are able to understand the conventions of writing and manipulate language to create effects for the reader.

We believe that all pupils should be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing. Children will learn the cursive script and will present their writing in variety of ways and write for a variety of genres for both English lessons and the wider curriculum. Through the writing journey, children at Denaby will learn the skills to plan, draft and refine their written work by analysing the features of high quality models, and will be encouraged to develop independence in being able to identify the success and their own areas for improvement in all pieces of writing.

Implementation:

Writing Curriculum.

We use the Literary Tree Curriculum as the basis for our teaching of writing at Denaby Main, as we believe that placing high quality children’s literature at the core of teaching and learning really supports the children to develop into confident writers. There is a yearly overview of texts that have been carefully mapped out to ensure a balance of themes/genres and also to provide a range of links to other curriculum areas. This enables to children to apply knowledge they have learnt to their English writing lessons, and also apply their knowledge of writing into their learning across the curriculum.

In years 1-6, there is a daily English writing lesson in which children are engaged to write following a ‘writing journey’. Each half term, teachers use one high quality text to plan from. This enables us to read the text fully and stop at appropriate points as a spring board for a piece of writing. Children are taught to teach 3 pieces of writing per half term. The length of each writing journey is flexible depending on the genre and length of writing.

The basic overall structure for teaching a piece of writing is:

Hook
Analyse the genre
Pick out the features (layout and grammatical)
Teach how to use the features (good quality modelling)
Provide content (this can be done in writing sessions, or applying from other curriculum areas)
Model how to: plan, write, edit and publish
Children plan, write, edit and publish

These steps can be done in this order, or, in a different order, depending on the children’s existing knowledge and skills, or the genre being taught.

Spellings

Children are taught spelling through the Read, Write, Inc programme. This is either in their RWI phonics session, or, once they have progressed from the programme, in daily spelling sessions. This approach allows for consistency across the school. By exploring spelling patterns and rules, we aim to create confident and proficient spellers using a discrete teaching approach underpinned by phonics.

Children are also taught to

Spell accurately and identify reasons for mis-spellings.
Proof-read their spellings
Recognise and use word origins, families and roots to build their skills
Use dictionaries and thesauruses.

Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary

Grammar, punctuation and vocabulary skills are taught explicitly during writing lessons and the children identify how authors have used them effectively during both their reading and writing lessons. Grammar and punctuation is planned and taught using the 2014 National curriculum year group expectations and children are expected to apply their knowledge in their writing.

In addition, children in KS2 are taught a ‘Vocabulary Masterclass’ weekly in order to further enhance their knowledge of the meaning and use of a wide-range of vocabulary, and as part of the PKC and Arc Maths curriculum, vocabulary is specifically taught in each lesson.

Handwriting

We are also working hard to encourage the children to develop a fluent, legible handwriting style. This is taught through the Read, Write, Inc programme from EYFS and throughout KS1. In addition, from Y1-6, children are taught a daily handwriting session, still following the RWI handwriting guidance. This allows for consistency across the school. All children in KS2, work towards achieving their pen licence.

Impact

All children should have the knowledge and skills to be able to write successfully, for a specific purpose and audience and have developed a writer’s craft, in order that they enjoy sustained writing and can manipulate language, grammar and punctuation to create effect. As all aspects of English are an integral part of the curriculum, children should produce the same high-quality pieces of writing across the curriculum as they do in their English writing lessons. By the time they leave Denaby Main Primary Academy, pupils should be able to write effectively and with confidence, in any subject as they progress into secondary education, as well seeing themselves as a writer who enjoys writing for choice, pleasure, interest, information, challenge and enjoyment across a variety of topics and themes, throughout their lives.