Westonzoyland Primary School ‘Achieving, Learning and Growing Together’
English Curriculum Information
English at Westonzoyland
(Information taken from our 2021 Teaching and Learning (CLAMP) policy.)
Writing is an important tool of communication and, as such, children need to become fluent and confident writers in a range of genres. Children should develop an increasingly confident approach to accurate spelling and become aware that accuracy in spelling is important, applying learnt spellings to all writing across the curriculum. Children should develop a strong understanding of grammatical conventions and how these are applied within writing across different genres, including writing formally and informally as appropriate. Children should be able to present their work neatly so that it can be easily read by others.
At Westonzoyland Primary School and Pre-school we aim to ensure that all children have equality of opportunity in writing.
We aim to encourage all children:
• to write clearly, accurately and confidently for a variety of purposes and audiences.
• Teach phonic strategies that will form the basis for accurate spellings.
• Teach strategies which enable children to develop their ability to spell accurately.
• to develop a clear, consistent, fluent and joined handwriting style and be aware of the importance of presentation in order to communicate effectively
• to understand the conventions of writing, including grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Use the correct vocabulary for grammatical terms
• Apply grammatical conventions appropriately for the genre of writing
• to develop the confidence to write effectively in a variety of genres.
• to be able to plan, draft, edit and evaluate their own writing.
• to feel valued as writers and to appreciate the writing of others.
• take pride in the presentation of their work.
Reading is a vital tool of communication and as such children need to become fluent and confident readers in a range of genres.
At Westonzoyland Primary School and Pre-school we aim to encourage all children:
• to develop a love of the written word and therefore read for pleasure.
• to read accurately, fluently and confidently for a variety of purposes.
• to develop a confident use of a variety of skills in order to decipher new words they meet.
• to understand the conventions of reading including the use of correct grammar and punctuation.
• to develop the ability to read aloud with expression and understanding.
• to be able to read to learn as well as learn to read.
• to ensure that all have equality of opportunity.
Writing
In English, we recognise the importance of children experiencing a range of text types and opportunities for writing. Units may be based solely around one text, or they may encompass a range of different writing. They may be linked to topics, reading texts, or be stand-alone.
When planning a unit, a balance of modelled, shared and guided writing should be used, and wherever possible, real-world reasons for writing should be maximised.
Phonics
Twinkl Phonics is a DfE validated full systematic, synthetic phonics programme that allows us to deliver phonics teaching to children from the very beginning of learning to read and write, to full fluency.
Reading
In Reading, we use the Complete Comprehension scheme of work to develop our children's understanding of the key areas of comprehension:
