Literacy – Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
Here at Stratford-Upon-Avon Primary School, we believe that being confident, inspired and happy readers and authors enables our learners to access and enjoy all aspects of our broader curriculum. We provide motivational and engaging texts to enable our children to develop a love of reading and a thirst for knowledge. Our carefully planned and directed curriculum provides purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion across a large breadth of stimulus.
We believe that a quality English curriculum should develop children’s love of reading, writing and discussion. One of our priorities is helping children read and develop their all-important comprehension skills. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and who can use discussion to communicate and further their learning.
We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge-base in English, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. We believe that a secure basis in literacy skills is crucial to a high quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.
Implementation
These aims are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum and framework, that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of high-quality texts and resources to motivate and inspire our children. Teachers also ensure that cross curricular links with concurrent topic work are creatively woven into the programme of study.
The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
● read easily, fluently and with good understanding
● develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
● acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
● appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
● write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
● use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
● are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
At Stratford Primary, we identify children who need support and provide intervention in the most effective and efficient way that we can. We run intervention reading recovery groups and are fortunate to have parents and governors who come in regularly to hear children read. Most children on the SEND register have reading and comprehension as one of their targets. Teachers plan and teach English lessons which are differentiated to the particular needs of each child. We help each child maximise their potential by providing help and support where necessary whilst striving to make children independent workers once we have helped to equip them with the confidence, tools and strategies that they need.
We work closely with parents and at Meet the Teacher sessions, parents receive information about phonics for Year 1 parents; reading and SATs for Year 2 parents and KS2 SATs information for Year 6 parents so that they understand age-related expectations.
Regular English book scrutiny's are carried out by the subject lead and senior leadership team to check all teachers are following the National Curriculum reading and writing TAF's.
We love to celebrate success of all learners and strive to help all children achieve their goals. Reading is celebrated in classrooms and around school, where our engaging progression display celebrates children’s reading and writing. In addition, throughout the school year our English curriculum is enhanced through World Book Day, Year 6 reading champions, parent and governor 1:1 reading, drama workshops and a range of trips and visits which enrich and complement children’s learning. Every classroom has a high quality class text, which drives their curriculum and time is set aside every day for the children to read for pleasure and also listen to an adult reading an additional text. Children and adults are passionate about reading and this is evident all around the school.
Impact
The impact on our children is clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills. With the implementation of the writing journey being well established and taught thoroughly in both key stages, children are becoming more confident writers and by the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most purposes of writing are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.
Termly assessments are showing that most children at Stratford Primary School are achieving in English at age-related expectations. Each year we have children achieving at a greater depth in reading and writing at the end of KS1 and at the end of KS2.
As all aspects of English are an integral part of the curriculum, cross curricular writing standards have also improved and skills taught in the English lesson are transferred into other subjects; this shows consolidation of skills and a deeper understanding of how and when to use specific grammar, punctuation and grammar objectives.
