English

English

Our aim at Holy Ghost is to provide children with the written and spoken language skills that are vital to their educational success.  In line with the National Curriculum expectations, our English curriculum provides our pupils with experiences of real value, which develop their language. It enables them:

• to master important concepts and to think
• to engage in dialogue which communicates and deepens understanding
• to produce work of a highly creative and aesthetic quality, with correctly formed cursive handwriting

This involves:

• the acquisition of a wide working vocabulary
• clear expression of thoughts, using correct syntax, spelling and punctuation
• understanding the use of grammar in writing
• clear articulation of thought, with awareness of purpose and audience
• becoming a fluent, avid and analytical reader
• becoming a competent writer for a range of purposes

To create an environment of enthusiasm and engagement in learning, our pupils are exposed to a range of diverse, inclusive and high quality texts across the school. These texts are used to stimulate writing, as whole-class reading texts or simply read for pleasure.

Reading

At Holy Ghost we believe that lifelong learners are developed through a love of reading. We extensively promote reading across the curriculum. Opportunities to develop prosody, sight word recognition and vocabulary are woven across subjects through a rich and diverse range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Our aim is for all pupils, regardless of additional needs or background, to learn to read fluently as well as develop their reading for meaning and pleasure.

Reading in KS1

Reading in KS1 follows Little Wandle programme. 

Reading in KS2

In KS2, we teach reading using the VIPERS approach - which is based upon the National Curriculum reading domains:

• Vocabulary
• Inference
• Prediction
• Explanation
• Retrieval
• Summarising

The six domains of reading are taught through whole class reading sessions. A class text is used and pupils are given opportunities to apply their reading knowledge and skills through verbal and written tasks. Each session focuses on a different reading domain. Question stems, similar to those used at the end of Key Stage tests, are provided to support pupils' learning.

Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R) is a time regularly set aside in the classroom schedule for both students and their teachers to "drop everything and read." During D.E.A.R time, children self-select the books they wish to read for pleasure and are encouraged to discuss, share and recommend books to one another. This time is crucial for developing ‘book talk’ inside the classroom and around the school.

KS2 Catch Up

Any child in Year 2 or above who is not reading at age-related expectations needs urgent targeted support so they can access the curriculum and enjoy reading as soon as possible. Big Cat Collins is a banded book scheme that supports the teaching of reading. Pupils read in small groups, where targeted support is provided from a trained adult. Ongoing teacher assessment ensures all pupils are reading books at the correct level. These books are used alongside whole class reading sessions, enabling all pupils to access a range of quality texts at their reading level.

Writing

We believe that children's writing should be purposeful and have an impact beyond the classroom. Because of this, our writing is strongly linked to our work across the curriculum and we endeavour for children to develop a rich, varied vocabulary and strong oracy skills. We encourage pupils to see themselves as authors, taking ownership of, and showing pride in their work through promoting proofreading, editing and 'publishing' as an integral part of each unit. 

Our intentions in writing are for children to:

• Become confident communicators
• Write for a clear purpose linked to our curriculum
• See themselves as authors
• Use writing to make an impact beyond the classroom
• Develop a rich and varied vocabulary
• Take ownership of, and show pride in, their work

How do we achieve this?

Our teaching in writing is shaped by our curriculum which covers History and Geography through looking at real world issues.  Our units are heavily text-based so that children experience high quality examples of writing and they cover a wide range of text types and genres.  They are linked as closely as possible with our work in guided reading so children can further explore examples of excellent writing.

In KS1 and 2, we have divided the objectives for each year group into terms.  This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.  Through ‘boxed up’ success criteria, children share in the process of their own learning and they can see exactly what they are aspiring towards at the beginning of each unit.  We use asystematic approach to teaching each writing unit that is built around the principles of the writing process. Each unit is a few weeks in length and loops learning towards an end of unit outcome. The sequence runs over three phases and prioritises understanding the purpose and how authors achieve this, explicit contextualised teaching of grammar and punctuation, and the authorial skills of editing, proofreading and publishing writing with pride.  Imaginative and attractive displays throughout the school raise the profile of children’s written work and make explicit the link between this and other areas of the curriculum.

               Through all phases of the school, beginning in EYFS, a rich vocabulary is seen as an essential component of high quality writing.  Children are encouraged to value the learning of new words, and the teaching and displays in the classrooms reflect this; the new vocabulary children will learn is at the core of curriculum planning.

 What impact does this have?

By the time children leave our school they will:

• Have made good progress each year
• Have a love for writing and write for enjoyment
• Be able to produce written work in all areas of the curriculum to a high standard
• Be confident to write for a range of different purposes

Effective composition involves articulating and communicating ideas, and organising them coherently for a reader. Pupils will understand that this requires clarity and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. At Holy Ghost we believe purposeful writing is key, so pupils have many opportunities to write for a purpose closely relating to them. Pupils are expected to develop fluent and legible handwriting that is consistent, even at speed. Our grammar teaching and progression follows the National Curriculum end of year expectations. This is taught in accordance with the text type being studied to allow pupils to apply their knowledge and skills in context.

Holy Ghost Grammar & Punctuation Progression guide

Spelling

Spelling at Holy Ghost is taught using the Oak Academy No Nonsense Spelling scheme which provides clear, explicit and varied teaching of spelling rules and the strategies for learning words. 

Please click the link below for more detailed information about the scheme.

Oak Academy and No Nonsense Spellings

For the English Curriculum overview please click ion the document below:

English Curriculum Overview