English

Intent

Reading

We intend for all children to become competent and confident readers. We know that the ability to read and understand has a direct impact on progress and attainment in all areas of the curriculum and therefore children’s self-esteem and motivation to learn. Throughout
school, from wherever their starting point is, we equip pupils with the phonics, word reading and comprehension strategies needed to use reading as a source of information and to develop a love of books, which continues into adulthood. Our pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure and to read widely. They have access to a wide range of text types, genres and authors in order to support them to give informed preferences about their favourite books.

Writing

Children at Barley Croft are given opportunities to write across the curriculum. We believe that all pupils should be able to communicate their knowledge, ideas, emotions and individual flair through their writing. We want them to write clearly and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Children are equipped with the skills to write with grammatical accuracy and are expected to apply the spelling rules and patterns they learn throughout their time at primary school. At Barley Croft, we know that good writers improve and edit their writing over time; we encourage children to identify areas for development independently during and after the writing process. We also recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing. We intend for them to take care when presenting pieces of work and to develop a good, joined handwriting style by the time they transition to secondary school.

Speaking and Listening

In many subjects at Barley Croft, we teach our pupils to speak clearly, to convey their ideas fluently, express opinions confidently and to ask questions to develop their understanding. We intend to inspire children to be confident in the art of both speaking and listening; it is key that they can use discussion to communicate effectively. We aim to expose our children to a wide range of vocabulary so that they can decipher new words and then use them when speaking both informally and formally in a variety of different situations. Ultimately, children should become adults who are able to discuss, negotiate, understand and further their learning.

Implementation

Phonics

We teach Phonics using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. This formally begins when children start in Reception and builds from 10-minute lessons to the full-length 30 minutes as quickly as possible. Little Wandle sets out the progression of sounds to follow.
For children who attend Nursery, we teach Foundations for Phonics through a range of child-led and adult-led experiences, including:
• Sharing high-quality stories and poems
• Learning a range of nursery rhymes and action rhymes
• Activities that develop focused listening and attention, including oral blending
• Paying attention to high-quality language
Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.
Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.
Daily keep-up Phonics sessions take place for children who need additional practice.
Children in Year 2 to Year 6 who have gaps in their Phonic knowledge take part in ‘catch-up’ Phonics sessions.

Early Reading

Children in EYFS and Year 1 take part in Little Wandle Reading Practice sessions 3 times a week. At present, a number of Year 2 and Year 3 children also participate in whole-class Phonics lessons.
Phonetically decodable books are matched to children’s ability based on half-termly assessments.
The 3 Reading Practice sessions take place in small groups and each week, they cover: decoding, prosody and comprehension.

KS2 Reading

Children in Key Stage 2 follow the Local Authority ‘Reading Project’ for Shared and Guided Reading. At present, this begins from Year 3. In the future, this will begin in Year 2. Shared
Reading takes place with the whole class. It explicitly teaches children reading objectives from the long-term overview. Then, they take part in Guided Reading groups using texts at an
appropriate, instructional level. More information on Reading in Key Stage 2 can be found in our Teaching and Learning Handbook.

Writing

Writing is taught through a bespoke sequence which is new to Barley Croft for 2022-23.
Hook; Read as a Reader; Read as a Writer; Grammar and Punctuation; Vocabulary; I/We/You model; Plan; Oral Rehearsal; Edit; Proof Read and Publish.
• As teachers plan new writing units throughout the academic year - in line with the updated 2-year rolling REAL project curriculum - books, texts and genres that are covered will be
recorded.

Impact

• To know the difference between fiction and non-fiction
• To know the names of 5 famous authors
• To know some features of poetry
• To be able to type on a keyboard
• To experience and know what it feels like to ‘get lost in a book’ / read for enjoyment
• To know how to read and research safely to gain new knowledge
• To know how to plan, organise, draft and edit a piece of writing
• To have the skills to communicate (orally, written or sign language) wants and needs in
order to stay safe.
• To know the purpose of step-by-step instructions and how to follow them (recipe,
building furniture, directions...)
• To have embedded the lifelong skills needed to read with comprehension and
understanding (travel, signs, news...)