Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School

English

At Etz Chaim Primary School, we seek to develop pupils’ skills in all aspects of English: in speaking, listening, drama, phonic, reading and writing. English is essential in all our learning and we want children to fall in love with the subject and with learning!

We all use English:

to communicate - both through speech and writing
to learn – to help us make sense of our experiences
to think - to help organise our ideas

We aim to support and encourage all children:

to have a love of language: to enjoy the sound of unusual and interesting words, to try to use them in their speech and in writing
to communicate effectively through speech – listening to others and speaking clearly and confidently
to have a love of reading: to be able to enjoy ‘getting lost in a book’, reading a story, play or poem, or finding out something new from a non-fiction text
to read fluently and confidently
to develop research skills – to be able to access information for themselves
to think critically for themselves about what they have read - to decide whether what they have read is true or not; to consider whether they agree or disagree with it; to choose what they like and don’t like, etc.
to use writing to communicate effectively
to write creatively and imaginatively, enjoying the act of writing

Children write as a means of communication, and as a way of clarifying their own thoughts. It also allows them to record their individual opinions and ideas. Our pupils are introduced to a range of genres which enable them to write appropriately and imaginatively for any task they undertake during guided groups or through continuous provision.　

Pupils are taught correct letter formation in regular handwriting sessions. This enables them to form legible handwriting and progress to a fluent cursive style.

High quality writing is strongly linked to the development and the love of reading, so we stimulate pupils' imaginations by providing an environment that is rich in good quality literature to motivate children to write. This is done through the use of our high quality picture books, novels, poetry, our IPC topics and non-fiction text through Power of Reading. In addition to this we expose children to firsthand experience, where they then get the opportunity and motivation to write for a purpose in a range of genres.

At Etz Chaim, the children, in both Key Stage 1 and 2 are provided with the opportunity to write in a range of genres through our topics, such as:

Adventure Stories- An adventure story often has a cliff-hanger before the final resolution.
Character/Setting Description- A description is used to add detail to a narrative
Story Writing-Story writing focuses on creatively looking at the key features, including the plot and description.
Non- Chronological report- A non-chronological report is a non-fiction report which is not written in time order.
Adverts- Adverts are written persuasively to help people see things from your point of view.
Autobiography- An autobiography is an account of a person’s life written by that person.
Diary- A diary usually links with history topic and children will keep a daily record of events and experiences
Discussion- A discussion will provide a balanced argument giving reasons for and against your topic
Explanation- An explanation text gives you information about a subject that you are interested in and would like to know more about
Leaflet- A leaflet provides information on a topic for example an Etz Chaim information leaflet.
Instructions- Instructions tell the reader how to do something, for example how to cook a recipe, or play a game
Newspaper Report-Children will write a newspaper report focusing on the key features, such as headlines and past tense.
Recount- A recount is a piece of writing that gives details of an event that has happened.
Play Scripts- A play script is a piece of writing written for the stage including dialogue and stage directions
Poetry- Poetry focuses on the children creating their own poem, including the key features, such as verses, repletion, rhyming pairs.

Here are samples of work from across the school to give a flavour of the English Curriculum the children learn at Etz Chaim.

Please click here to see Nursery

Please click here to see Reception

Please click here to see Year 1

Please click here to see Year 2

Please click here to see Year 3

Please click here to see Year 4

SPAG

The new English curriculum has a big emphasis on spelling, punctuation and grammar (also known as SPaG). SPaG is taught across the whole school and each year will develop pupil’s knowledge and build on previous learning. We use fun, engaging and practical activities to support the children’s learning through guided groups as well as in continuous provision.

As well as being able to spell words correctly, use a wide range of vocabulary and punctuate well, they need to grasp the meaning of grammatical terms such as noun, verb, adjective, prefix, pronoun and adverb. Along with this they will learn what phrases and clauses are and how to use them, understand what connectives are and how they work, know how to turn a question into a command, and so on. This terminology can be a stumbling block even for children who are otherwise good at reading and writing.

As a school we have created a Grammar Terminology document to support your child at home which can be found on their class page on the website.

Support for Spelling

When children are ready to come off RWI (Read, Write Inc) they develop their understanding of spelling through guided groups of Support for Spelling. We use fun, engaging and practical activities to support the children’s learning during Support for Spelling.

Support for Spelling contains a range of materials and resources including:

knowledge of the history of spelling and the English language
a range of suggested strategies, approaches, and activities to help improve and practise spelling
a collection of spelling learning objectives and teaching focuses
programmes for Years 2 to 6 which draw on the learning objectives and teaching focus

Please click here to view the spelling appendix for Year 1

Please click here to view the spelling appendix for Year 2

Please click here to view the spelling appendix for Year 3

Please click here to view the spelling appendix for Year 4

Please click here to view the spelling appendix for Year 5

Please click here to view the spelling appendix for Year 6

Guided Reading

Reading is the key skill children need to learn in order to access the whole curriculum. As a school we believe that the teaching of reading is of paramount importance.

Guided reading at Etz Chaim happens during table top, every morning where a group of six children, once a week focus on a particular reading skill to develop and consolidate.

The teacher selects a book or text that the children are able to read without too much difficulty, (95% accuracy). There is a clear teaching focus for the session based upon the year group’s objectives and the children's next steps. This focus is shared with the children so that they know what they are learning. There is a balance of teacher and child discussion, with the teacher prompting, and facilitating discussion rather than dominating.

Guided reading is seen as a beneficial and valuable way to teach reading because:

It can be less intimidating for children
Children can learn from each other
The children are taught specific reading skills
The session has a clear objective
All children are reading all of the text

Hearing Children Read Individually

All children from Reception upwards are hear read individually at least once a week. A team of parents, grandparents and volunteers from the local community hear the children read as well as the Class Teacher and other support staff.

The children change their books twice a week from a large selection of book-banded books from a variety of publishers.

Power of Reading

“Reading for pleasure, achievement for life”

Throughout the school we teach literacy through the Power of Reading programme.

The Power of Reading approach has raised achievement in over 2500 schools across England and internationally. Here at Whitmore we have seen The Power of Reading transform the way the teachers teach and the way children feel about reading and writing. Children engage with high quality picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction through a wide range of teaching approaches. Children are immersed into the text through music, art, drama, discussion and role-play. Other approaches include responding to illustrations, ‘Book Talk’, storymapping and book making. Children take ownership of the text and engage with it deeply.

Please click here to find out more about our learning through the Power of Reading.

Please click here to see the new National Curriculum end of year expectations for Writing.

Please click here to see the new National Curriculum end of year expectation for reading.