English

 

Knowledge of English, and a command of the spoken and written word, is an essential resource for a child’s learning in school. It is a tool used across the whole school curriculum, as well as being a subject in its own right.
At Etz Chaim we use high-quality texts and immerse children in vocabulary rich learning environments. Through our approach, we aim to enable our children to become literate and develop a love of reading, creative writing and purposeful speaking and listening.
The National Curriculum divides English into five strands:  Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing, Spelling and Handwriting. 
Speaking and Listening
Our children develop their capacity to express themselves effectively for a variety of purposes. This is fostered with adult support and consolidated through learning across the curriculum. The children have opportunities to listen and respond to high-quality texts, give opinions, respond to instructions and questions, describe experiences and feelings and express themselves or the role of a character through drama. Children are also provided with opportunities to compose, recite and perform poetry.
Reading
Children learn not just the mechanics of reading, but to become accomplished, comprehending readers; developing the habit of silent reading and a love of reading for life.
Our reading books are banded and are matched to phonics levels and reading abilities and interests all the way up to Year 6. The schemes we use, including Big Cat, Oxford Reading Tree and Read Write Inc, incorporate fiction and non-fiction texts, poetry, play scripts and graphic novels. 
Our English curriculum is designed to immerse the children in their text whilst teaching them how to read for meaning and understand different aspects of their class text as well as the range of texts they are reading independently. Children are heard read by reading volunteers and members of staff.
We have an amazing school library which houses a range of different genres and caters for all children from Reception to Year 6. Each class has a designated slot to use our amazing library and each classroom has a reading area to help promote the love and high importance that reading holds in our school. These reading areas provide opportunities for children to support their learning with topic related content, but also are inviting children to enter a peaceful calm relaxing space within the classroom.
Phonics
From Reception, Phonics is taught through the use of the Read Write Inc. scheme, and this is then continued through the school until the children are fluent readers. Phonics is a systematic approach to understanding the sounds of the English language. Each session is fun and immersive, eventually allowing children to read fluently and accurately.
Please click here to watch some informative videos on the Read Write Inc. YouTube channel, including how to pronounce the sounds correctly as well as information on the phonics screening check.
Please click here for our Phonics Progression Document.
Writing
As the children mature, they develop a growing ability to write in different styles, for different audiences and purposes. We have adopted a ‘Purpose for Writing’ (Michael Tidd, 2016) approach which encourages children to see a real reason for their writing. Each ‘purpose’ has several associated genres which the children re-visit across the school year and develop as they move up through the school.
The four purposes are:
• Writing to entertain
• Writing to inform
• Writing to persuade
• Writing to discuss
Each key stage writes to the following purpose:
Years 1 and 2: Writing to Entertain and to Inform
Years 3 and 4: Writing to Entertain, Inform and Persuade
Years 5 and 6: writing to Entertain, Inform, Persuade and Discuss
For each writing genre, the following teaching sequence is used:
  1. WAGOLL (What a 'good one' looks like): the children are immersed in the genre, showing one or more examples of what a good example of the text type looks like. 
  2. Success Criteria: They use these examples to create a check list of the features to include in their own writing.
  3. Developmental writing based on the Success Criteria – The children are explicitly taught the grammar and punctuation they need to include. 
  4. Planning
  5. Drafting
  6. Producing writing
  7. Developing writing (Editing)
  8. Presenting 
Letter formation is taught through Read Write Inc in Reception and this is reinforced throughout Key Stage One. Once this is mastered, joined handwriting is taught following a systematic approach.
With the writing journey being well established and taught thoroughly across the school, children are becoming more confident writers. By the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them. The teaching can then focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills. This can be applied to writing across the curriculum, including in Jewish Studies.

 

SPaG

The 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. 

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