English at Ashlands

Aims

English Policy January 2023

We strive to give our children the best start in establishing secure foundations in reading by ensuring that all children become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. We believe this is achievable through a combination of high quality, discrete systematic phonics teaching combined with a language rich curriculum. Our primary intent is to create avid readers, which we believe is the foundation for any greater depth learner.

While phonics and fluency will be emphasised in the early teaching of reading, immersive Whole Class Wider Curriculum Reading sessions later take precedent using challenging texts and extracts to ensure our reading curriculum offers ambition and challenge. These sessions help to develop fluency, comprehension and increase children’s vocabulary whilst focusing on the contextualisation of language.

We also promote a reading culture in which children are encouraged to read widely and for pleasure. It is our intention that by the end of their primary education, all of our pupils will be able to: read fluently, with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education; drawing on their knowledge of quality literature to further drive their passion for reading and writing and continue on their journeys as life-long readers.

Reading

Ashlands-Reading-Strategy

Ashlands Reading Spine 2023-2024 working progress

It is through a stimulating literature rich environment and many varied opportunities to read and celebrate reading that we endeavour to develop a lifelong love of reading in our children. This love of reading and books translates into a desire to write and communicate thoughts, feelings and ideas. Children are given opportunities to read frequently with teachers, teaching assistants and volunteers. In addition, many exciting and rewarding activities are arranged to promote the pleasure and knowledge which can be gained from books; whole school themed days, weekly buddy reading with upper KS2, visiting authors and World Book Day. All children are encouraged to take home books from the school library. The library has a wide variety of fiction and non- fiction books which are relevant to the curriculum and the interests and ages of the children. We provide the children with regular opportunities to read for pleasure and find out about learners’ reading habits and interests. We enjoy class conversations about what learners are currently reading for pleasure, what they are enjoying/ not enjoying, and as a class we share our recommendations. Learners are encouraged to try new formats / genres / authors and parents are readily supported.

Writing

Writing Overview

We aim to develop the children’s ability to produce well structured, detailed writing in which meaning is made clear and which engages the interest of the reader. Attention is paid throughout the school to the formal structures of English: grammatical detail, punctuation and spelling. An emphasis is also placed on the creative writing process and children use their imaginations and creativity to implement the skills they have learnt when writing independently. All writing is celebrated across school via displays, assemblies and ‘Share and Celebrate’ sessions, where parents are invited into school to see the fantastic work the children have been doing.

Information for parents

Ashlands Primary School

"Every child has the right to shine"