Subject Aims

Our English curriculum is based upon a language rich experience for pupils combining opportunities to speak, listen, read and write for a variety of purposes audiences and forms. When considering the writing curriculum progression, it should be read in conjunction with the reading progression as the development of these skills are not separate but part of a cohesive language-rich programme. Our writing curriculum is based upon the selection of high-quality, engaging texts, that provide rich models of language. These texts are mapped into our termly and half-termly curriculum progression frameworks for each year group. Teachers always seeks opportunities to make links between reading and writing explicit.

At St Edward’s C of E Primary and Nursery, we seek to ensure that:

In Reading:

• Create a culture where children love reading and books, actively engage with it at every opportunity and where their imagination and understanding of the world is developed through it.
• A place where children are exposed to a range of high-quality texts in a variety of contexts and have opportunities to browse literature, hear texts read aloud as well as participate in structured reading activities
• Where children are curious about vocabulary and can improve their clarifying skills allowing them to recognise what they don’t know.
• To build preferences in reading and to choose to read
• To recognise authors and styles of reading that individuals enjoy
• Engage in book discussion in a range of contexts, alongside both adults and peers
• Share and recommend a range of books

In Writing:

• Children can write with fluency and each has an author’s voice.
• Children are writing for a purpose and their writing is engaging; they think about the impact they want their writing to have on the reader and know how they will achieve this.
• Children develop writing from high-quality text models and worked examples.
• Children develop proficiency in writing in a range of genres, have a sophisticated bank of vocabulary, and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.
• Opportunities for writing purposefully are developed through other areas of the curriculum and beyond the school.
• Children develop writing stamina.
• Children are motivated to re-read, edit and improve their writing so every piece of writing they produce is to the best of their ability and better than the last.
• Children display excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented, punctuated, and spelt correctly

The National Curriculum

• The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
•  appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
•  use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.