Literacy
At Ettington C of E Primary School and Pre-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, enabling them to embrace “Life in its fullness” (John 10:10).
The English National Curriculum (2014) states:
“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.”
We believe that every child has the right to become a confident reader, writer, speaker and listener, and that literacy plays a fundamental role in enabling children to flourish academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Our Literacy curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, recognising and celebrating the individual gifts, experiences, languages and perspectives that each child brings to our school community.
We believe that exposure to high-quality children’s literature is vital. Carefully chosen books provide a rich context for learning, not only within Literacy as a subject, but also in supporting the development of a strong reading culture throughout the school. Through a diverse and engaging range of literature, we aim to foster a genuine love of reading and help children to develop the curiosity, imagination and confidence to explore the world through books.
Our choice of text is deliberate. We use high-quality, diverse and thought-provoking texts that provide our children with opportunities to see themselves and their experiences represented, whilst also introducing them to people, cultures, perspectives and experiences that may be different from their own. In doing so, literature becomes a powerful tool for developing empathy, compassion, respect and understanding, reflecting our Christian commitment to valuing every individual as unique and precious.
We use literature as a stimulus for philosophical enquiry, encouraging children to question, reflect, reason and consider different viewpoints. The issues, themes and dilemmas raised within texts provide meaningful opportunities for children to develop their spoken language through debate, drama, discussion, questioning and collaborative thinking. We want children to develop the confidence to articulate their ideas, listen respectfully to others and recognise that their voice has value.
Reading is therefore at the heart of our curriculum. Alongside the systematic teaching of phonics, fluency and comprehension, children experience a rich diet of stories, poetry, non-fiction and other forms of literature. We seek to create lifelong readers who read for pleasure, purpose and understanding, while developing the vocabulary and knowledge needed to access learning across the curriculum.
Through writing, children are given opportunities to communicate their ideas, imagination and experiences for a range of purposes and audiences. We explicitly teach the knowledge and skills needed to become effective writers, while ensuring that children are encouraged to develop their own individual voice. We recognise that children have different starting points and learning needs, and provide appropriate scaffolding, support and challenge so that all children can participate, achieve and flourish.
Oracy is integral to our approach. We want every child to feel that they have a voice, that their voice matters and that they have the confidence to use it. Through purposeful opportunities to talk, listen, perform, question and debate, children develop the communication skills needed to build relationships, express themselves and engage positively with the world around them.
Ultimately, our Literacy curriculum seeks to open doors and remove barriers, enabling every child to discover and develop their God-given gifts and talents. Through reading, writing and oracy, we seek to nurture children who are confident communicators, enthusiastic and thoughtful readers, creative and purposeful writers, and compassionate individuals who are able to engage with the world and contribute to the flourishing of others.
In this way, our curriculum supports our children to embrace “Life in its fullness” (John 10:10).
- At Ettington, 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
- 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