English

At Warcop Church of England Primary School we understand that language forms a vital part of the whole curriculum, helping each child to interpret and make sense of the world they live in and gives each child the means to communicate their feelings, ideas and experiences. Children develop their English skills primarily through Spoken Language, Reading and Writing.

At Warcop CofE Primary School we aim to provide the children with a rich, in depth and creative English curriculum. Click the links below to explore how we aim to do this, in more detail.

Reading

At Warcop C of E Primary School we have a wide variety of reading books, we like to provide pupils with plenty of choice and engagement with books of different types. In Key Stage One all pupils will have a phonics book linked to our RWI (Read Write Inc.) phonics scheme. These will be changed on a weekly basis and each child will be heard reading by an adult at least once a week within school. The phonics stage book a pupil is focusing on is determined by our half termly phonics assessments. We encourage parents to read at home with their children, as we have a KS1 reading challenge. When pupils read to an adult or older pupil they will receive a sticker and once they have 40 stickers they can get a book from our school bookshop!

At the beginning of Key Stage Two many children will still have a staged reading book. Once they have completed the final stage, their suitability to be a ‘Free Reader’ will be assessed. Children who are ‘Free Readers’ are allowed to choose any suitable reading material of their own choice (often from the Library Van or the school library). Although children will make their own reading choices, staff will make sure their choices are a suitable challenge for their ability and age. In Key Stage Two children will be heard read at least once a week, during their guided reading session. If a child has been identified as need extra support with reading, they will be heard read on a more regular basis and will be encouraged to have a stage book. In KS2 children also have a school reading challenge, when they have read all 12 genres (as outlined in their school planners) they will receive a book token to spend in our school bookshop!

Long Term Plans

All year group plans follow the pattern laid out in the table below.

Please note:

• If the class is mixed age there will be a rolling program put in place for the class, to ensure good coverage is provided

• There is one less unit in the Summer months, to allow the school to prepare for and carry out end of year assessments

• The type of poetry taught in each class is not specified, but information is passed on to ensure good coverage. The types of poetry taught may include:

Poetry using the senses Pattern/Rhyme Shape Poetry Ballads Sonnets Acrostic Limericks Choral Poetry Calligrams Poetry with alternative rhyming Poetry with rhyming couplets Haiku Cinquain Slam poetry Tanka

Class Based Projects

At Warcop Church of England Primary School we have developed and implemented our own writing initiative, which we have named 'Class Based Projects'. During each of the 'Class Based Projects' teachers plan English lessons around a theme of their choice. The aim of this is to engage and inspire pupils, as staff select themes they are passionate about teaching. It also allows us to mirror the content of the new curriculum, where we have freedom of choice in certain areas and a strong emphasis on teaching the basics to a high standard. We will develop children’s creativity, imagination, vocabulary, spelling and handwriting through the teaching of writing. We do this by modelling good practice and using good examples; setting writing targets to aid self-improvement; encouraging emergent writing in the Early Years and then the confidence to ‘have a go’ and by providing opportunities to discuss and assess their own writing and the work of others.

Coverage

For a more detailed breakdown of what is covered as part of the English Curriculum, in each of the year groups, please select the year group below. Please note teaching staff reserve the right to implement these plans as the school sees appropriate; some units may be moved or combined depending on the coverage of the class based projects.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Useful English Resources

• Spellings Frame

• BBC Bitesize English
  Great for help and reminders on those tricky bits of English.