Intent

English at St Joseph’s is taught as a stand alone subject, where we focus on reading and writing, which underpins all other subject areas. Through our English curriculum we aim to promote high standards of literacy, language and communication skills to build confidence and understanding. Pupils can apply their skills to a range of texts and stories, enabling them to discover new knowledge and vocabulary. This will give children the appropriate tools to achieve the end of year expectations and succeed in their adult life.  

 

Implementation 

 

Reading 

Teachers in Year 2 to Year 6 regularly read high quality text to their children. Each year group will have a set of class reads that the teacher will work through during the academic year. This promotes a love for reading and exposes the children to new vocabulary and a variety of texts. A list of our class reading books can be found below.  

Children in Key Stage Two choose a book from the library which matches their reading ability, using their accelerated reader level. Accelerated reader is a programme that aims at developing children’s reading skills and comprehension skills regardless of their ability. Children will take a reading assessment resulting in each child receiving a unique reading book level. This book level directs the children to reading books appropriate for their ability, promoting a love for reading and eliminating any difficulties children may face. The children’s reading skills are regularly assessed through online quizzes at the end of each reading book.  

The software allows teachers to regularly monitor a child’s performance and growth, so that interventions can be put in place where necessary.  

 

Writing 

Our school has created a unique model for teaching writing across the school. The main aim of this model is to improve children’s skills enabling them to master writing a range of genres. At St Joseph’s we are all very enthusiastic about this approach as it allows teachers and children to fully immerse themselves in a range of genres and exciting themes.  

Our model aims to: 

  • Expose children to high quality texts.  
  • Teach grammatical features explicitly  
  • Focus on the spelling rules related to each year group.  
  • Improve story mapping and planning  
  • Teach the children to effectively edit and improve their writing.  

 

What is our model?  

Key Stage One and Key Stage Two work through the following sequence of learning for every genre of writing. This structure spans over two weeks.  

Key Stage One English  Key Stage Two English 

 

Hook – Teachers use high quality texts and video clips to engage the children.  Hook – Teachers use high quality texts and video clips to engage the children. 
Using model texts – Children will have the opportunity to explore an example of the genre they are focussing on to identify their key features.   Using model texts – Children will have the opportunity to explore an example of the genre they are focussing on to identify their key features. 
Grammar – children will focus on one specific grammatical skill that is related to the genre of writing they will be composing.  Grammar – children will focus on one specific grammatical skill that is related to the genre of writing they will be composing. 
Shared Write – This gives teachers the opportunity to showcase what the writing process looks like. Working with the children to create an example text for their specific genre.   Spelling – Key Stage Two children will focus on a specific spelling rule appropriate for their year group.  
Planning – Teachers model what a plan would include and what it could look like. Showing a variety of ways so that children can choose the most effective way of planning going forward.   Shared Write – This gives teachers the opportunity to showcase what the writing process looks like. Working with the children to create an example text for their specific genre. 
Independent Writing – A lesson dedicated to the children to showcase what they have learnt about their specific genre.   Planning – Teachers model what a plan would include and what it could look like. Showing a variety of ways so that children can choose the most effective way of planning going forward. 
Feedback – Teachers and children work together to look through their work and make improvements where necessary. A chance to share positives with all children.   Independent Writing – A lesson dedicated to the children to showcase what they have learnt about their specific genre. 
Change a feature – The children will still focus on the same genre; however, a small feature will change for the remaining lessons. This gives the children the opportunity to master a specific genre. For example, if we have been focussing on story writing, we can change the setting to write an alternative piece.   Editing and improving – Teachers will model how to effectively edit and improve writing. Teaching children appropriate techniques to increase independence in this area.  
Planning – Children are given time to work on a new plan for their writing, incorporating areas from their previous plan.   Reading Comprehension – Children will complete a reading task on a specific skill. This could be based on fact retrieval, true or false questions, inference questions or evidence and explanation questions.  
Independent Writing – A lesson dedicated to the children to showcase what they have learnt including areas to work on from the previous piece of writing.   Feedback – Teachers and children work together to look through their work and make improvements where necessary. A chance to share positives with all children.