St Luke's CofE Primary School
English
Subject Vision:
At St. Luke’s, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to develop the skills, understanding and enthusiasm needed to be independent readers, writers and orators. We want children to acquire this knowledge not only for educational attainment, but also so that they cultivate a genuine love of language that can be used to express their individual creativity, communicate with others effectively and generate empathy for the world around them.
English is the cornerstone on which all aspects of education are built. Each child is taught English daily, covering the skills of word reading, comprehension, transcription and composition. In addition, we adopt a cross-curricular approach to our work, which means that literacy can be developed in as wide a range of contexts as possible.
Speaking and listening
Children are encouraged by example to demonstrate their understanding and thinking through clear and confident speech. Theatre groups, authors and other speakers visit the school regularly, not only to develop children’s listening skills but also to motivate and inspire children when they are performing publicly.
Reading and understanding
Our aim is to foster a love of reading for pleasure, for meaning and for practical daily purposes. Through lively experience and stimulation with the class involving a variety of topics, children’s reading and understanding is developed. Collins Big Cat is the main reading scheme used, together with other supplementary books to give breadth and consolidation. Children and parents are encouraged to share books at home each day and complete a reading diary in order to continue this enjoyment of books and increase reading experience. An annual meeting takes place during the autumn term when the Reception teacher explains the reading process in school and gives guidance on how parents can support the school’s approach to reading. A further parent workshop is held to give insight into how comprehension skills are developed throughout KS2.
Writing
Writing is developed through first-hand experiences as often as possible, with a high quality text as a key driver. Presentation is given much thought and children are taught cursive script. They are helped to develop a love of the written word and are encouraged to share their work, both factual and creative, by publishing it or reading it aloud to others, both in a class setting and in front of the whole school.
Handwriting
Handwriting is an important life skill as a tool for learning, self-expression, and communicating language. It is a skill which, like reading and spelling, affects written communication across the curriculum. At St Luke's, children are supported to form a legible, fluent and fast handwriting style which enables them to express themselves clearly through the written word. Children have the opportunity to develop their gross and fine motor skills early to ensure that they have good foundations for handwriting. We have a consistent and systematic approach to teaching handwriting, beginning with basic orientation movements and formation of letters that lead to a fluid cursive style.
Phonics
We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised to teach phonics as it offers precise structure and a ‘whole class mastery’ opportunity. The programme begins almost immediately as children enter Reception, building upon the key aspects of Phase 1 coverage within Nursery.
Subject Resources:
Subject Documents:
Please click on the documents below to learn more about English at St Luke’s.