English

A child’s ability to communicate is vital to all aspects of their learning, so English learning cuts across all areas of the curriculum. We also plan for literacy-specific learning every day in school, in line with the expectations of the National Curriculum.

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening are at the core of our curriculum. We aim for our children to develop skills in comprehension, critical and creative thinking and oral and written communication.

The aim is for all children at St Mary's to be confident and enthusiastic speakers, readers and writers, so we provide a broad range of daily activities for children to develop and apply their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Included in this provision are opportunities for learning year specific grammar, punctuation and spelling skills, public-speaking and drama activities and reading and writing in different styles and for different purposes.

Volunteer Readers

Every class has an adult "Volunteer Reader" who comes in and reads with children once a week. This focused reading time has helped children develop and improve their reading and comprehension skills by giving them focused 1-1 time to read, share and enjoy texts.

We place value on quality texts that both engage the imagination and support the development of literacy skills. In lessons, the children read and respond to a range of fiction and non-fiction books and use them as a starting point for their own writing. They take part in activities that involve reading, writing, role play, drama, discussion, debate, presentation, recitation. Teachers plan from the National Curriculum for English with objectives for Reading, Writing, Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.We recognise how important it is for children to use their knowledge and skills in a relevant context in order to bring their learning to life. English skills are applied across the curriculum, with opportunities to read and write in Topic work, Art and Science.

Early Years

In Reception, Communication and Language, Reading and Writing are encouraged everyday and opportunities are ever present in the environment. Children have opportunities to explore, use, and enjoy words and text. They learn to respond to adults and to each other, listen carefully, and practise their communication skills through methods such as role-play, story-telling and shared writing.

Phonics

Phonics is taught every day in EYFS, Year 1 and 2 using the Read Write Inc scheme. Please see the Phonics page for further information. Our classrooms are rich with phonics resources, surrounding children in a wealth of tools to develop their skills in reading and writing.