English

Curriculum Subject Lead - Miss G Williams

English sits at the heart of our whole school curriculum and we believe that it is imperative to unlocking the potential of all our pupils, with reading being the golden key. We believe that children who read well, do well, so as a staff, we strive towards inciting happiness and positivity when sharing and reading books with the children; we aim to instil a love of reading in the children from an early age and aim for them to be confident and keen readers by the end of Key Stage 2. 

The National Curriculum for English forms the foundations for all that we do, along with the statutory expectations of the Early Years Framework. The main aims of the National Curriculum are to:

* Promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and

* Develop the pupils’ love of literature through reading widely and for pleasure.

We fulfil these aims by teaching the main elements of reading, writing, speaking and listening to our pupils in English lessons; we also thread these key skills throughout the wider curriculum. We use the best quality children’s literature to plan to excite reading and writing experiences and to model the inexplicable link between reading and writing. Furthermore, we strive to familiarise the children with different authors and genres to help them develop as readers, but also explicitly show them how to be inspired by these authors when writing.

We ensure that our pupils can read, write and talk about and reflect upon experiences from their Learning Adventures, including those that happen both in and out of school. It is imperative that we ensure that speaking, listening, reading and writing are united so that children have the chance to communicate and express themselves as fully as possible across a range of situations. By giving children these opportunities, we know that the skills will help them to become confident, compassionate learners, who will be able to express themselves fluently and with eloquence. 

Furthermore, we understand the importance of vocabulary knowledge and language. Through language, the children can make sense of our world, enabling them to communicate thoughts, ideas, information and emotions at a variety of levels and in many different ways. Through language, relationships that the children form will be stronger, as they can demonstrate honesty, understanding, empathy and compassion for one another. For this reason, staff ensure that the vocabulary of the children must be nurtured, developed and challenged, right from Early Years up to Year 6. We want our pupils to have a secure knowledge and understanding of the English language.  It is in this way that the children will become proficient communicators and keen readers, which will equip them with relevant skills that will enable them to have high aspirations be successful long after they have left our school.

At Mount Pleasant Primary School, we aim to develop the following in all children:

• Nurture a love of reading, where pupils choose to read widely and frequently for different purposes, but most importantly, for pleasure.
• Build resilience when reading, by challenging themselves through their choice of books and show commitment and self-discipline when building regular reading routines.
• A knowledge and appreciation of different authors and poets, along with the ability to express their thoughts, feelings and reactions when engaging with different texts.
• Help children to listen and offer recommendations to one another in order to further their reading journey.
• Support them so they acquire the ability to read fluently and with ease, demonstrating a good understanding of a wide range of texts.
• Have confidence in communicating, both verbally and non-verbally and responding with assurance, accuracy and imagination, in both the written and spoken word.
• Show the children that reading is their SUPERPOWER and show them how being immersed in a good book can keep their mind occupied during tough times in life, supporting them with their mental health.
• Use, learn, develop and access a rich and varied vocabulary.
• To have a secure awareness of audience and the ability to adapt their language and style for different purposes, genres and audiences, helping them express themselves with assertiveness and pride.
• The ability to use spelling, grammar and punctuation (GPS) accurately when writing and speaking.
• A sound understanding of the importance of Standard English and the ability to use it where appropriate, demonstrating respect.
• Use legible, fluent handwriting, which can also be adapted for a variety of purposes.
• The chance to plan, draft, edit and improve their written work, responding to feedback positively, so that they understand that this is a natural process that will follow them through life whenever they write for different purposes.

We aim to give children important, transferrable skills to be ready to approach  future challenges with resilience in the next stage of their education and beyond, showing that they can believe it and achieve it.