Literacy
At Ettington Church of England Primary School, we aspire to live out God’s plan for all to flourish. We believe in providing our children with varied opportunities to use and develop the gifts and talents they have been blessed with, to ensure they embrace “Life in its fullness” John 10:10
The English national curriculum (2014) states that:
‘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 language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.’
- At Ettington Primary School, we believe the exposure of children’s literature within the primary school setting is vital as a rich context for learning; not only within English as a subject but to support building a reading culture throughout the school.
- It is our intent to use high quality books that offer opportunities to develop empathy and aid philosophical enquiry, as a means of developing the spoken language requirements through debate, drama and discussion using the issues raised through, and within, the text.
- At Ettington Primary School we use the Literacy Tree Curriculum, which places books at the core and provides a context for learning; ensuring that objectives for reading, writing, grammar and spelling can have a purpose.
- It is our intent that our writing opportunities are meaningful and feel authentic, whether these are short or long and that the audience is clear.
- It is our intent that children have real reasons to write, whether to explain, persuade, inform or instruct and that where possible, this can be embedded within text or linked to a curriculum area. Writing in role using a range of genres is key to our approach and we always model the tone and level of formality. This sits comfortably alongside the following statement from the English national curriculum:
‘The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.’
Implementation, Coverage and Depth
- At Ettington Primary School, we immerse pupils in the wonders of quality texts to instil a love for reading, a passion for discovery, and to develop and enrich vocabulary. We use carefully designed teaching activities that utilise imaginative stories and thought-provoking texts.
- Classes study two books per half term with a wide variety of opportunities for writing different genres. Please see curriculum maps.
- In many cases, objectives are covered more than once and children have opportunities to apply these several times over the course of a year, as well as to consolidate prior knowledge from previous years. This approach supports children to think deeply and develop skills with depth.
Great learning website, has further suggested reading lists for all year groups.
Absolutely essential one-stop website for all your child’s reading requirements.
www.literacyshed.com
A website for filled with ideas for English teaching using visual resources such as film, animation, photographs and picture books.
www.bbc.co.uk
List of literacy websites for 4-11 year old students, including games and activities and resources for teachers and parents.
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
Study guides and class clips.
www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise
Reading, writing, spelling, word grammar, sentence grammar, speaking and listening – children and adults