Intent
At Joseph Turner we believe that a quality English curriculum will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum for English 2014 to enable all children to:
• Read, write and speak with confidence, fluency and understanding.
• Understand the connections between the spoken and written word.
• Use a full range of appropriate strategies (phonic, graphic, grammatical, contextual) to deal with reading and writing challenges independently.
• Have an interest in books and read for pleasure.
• Have an interest in words, their meanings; developing a growing vocabulary in spoken and written forms.
• Understand a range of text types and genres – be able to write in a variety of styles and forms appropriate to the situation.
• Have the powers of imagination, inventiveness and critical awareness.
• Have a suitable technical vocabulary to articulate their responses.
These aims are embedded across our English, Reading Lessons, Phonics (RWI) lessons and the wider curriculum. We will provide the means for children to develop a secure knowledgebase in English, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum. Rigorous assessment and review will ensure that we are able to provide targeted support so that all children experience success in English; we believe that a secure basis in English 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
Early reading is supported through the Read Write Inc scheme which is a high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programme. Regular training and development days ensure that staff are equipped to teach with the expertise and skills required to promote excellent progress, as well as a love of reading. Alongside RWI, Years 1 and 2 complete a reading lesson each week, over the half term they will explore 1 quality text in detail, developing comprehension skills using VIPERS.
In KS2, when children have completed the RWI programme, they have a reading lesson daily to develop deeper reading skills following VIPERS to ensure that they comprehend what they read. Children will spend time exploring their class text in detail and also key texts from the reading spine. Lower KS2 explore the same text over a week, focusing on a different VIPER each day. Upper KS2 develop the skills of exploring multiple VIPERS within a lesson. Struggling readers in KS2 are assessed using RWI assessments and then grouped accordingly to their needs – children in Years 4, 5 and 6 access Freshstart. Y3 children join KS1 phonics and are assessed every 6 weeks or sooner if identified as making accelerated progress. We are following this approach as it is routed in research, children become fluent by re-reading, it supports the Reading framework (2023) and it suits our children at the stage they are working at. Each class’s timetable is organised to enable weekly access to the KS1 and KS2 library, with an up to date selection of books to provide quality reading materials for all children to promote reading for pleasure. Book supplies are refreshed and updated regularly so that pupils are exposed to a range of genres. Children are encouraged to talk about their books and reading in lessons and also during ‘book club’ time, where staff also model an enjoyment of reading. Reading is prioritised and promoted in every class with inviting book corners and daily Jackanory time where a story is shared, read aloud by an adult. Reading is imbedded across the curriculum and books are used within topics to deepen children’s understanding and develop enjoyment.
Impact
The impact and measure is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the English National Curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives. Long term pupils will:
• Be confident in the art of reading and to be able to use this skill to further their learning and enable them to be eager to learn through exploring their own passions.
• Be able to read fluently both for pleasure and to further their learning.
• Enjoy reading across a range of genres.
• Feel confident to read aloud.
• Develop a wide vocabulary from books and be adventurous with vocabulary choices within their writing.
• Leave primary school being able to effectively apply spelling rules and patterns they have been taught.
• Pupils of all abilities will be able to succeed in reading and comprehend what they have read.
• Pupils will develop a love of reading and be able to speak about their favourite authors or themes in books.
• Make good and better progress from their starting points to achieve their full potential.
We aim that as children move on from Joseph Turner Primary to further their education and learning, that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.