English at Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy is an exciting journey of learning. We deliver our English curriculum through a book rich curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and a novel led curriculum in Key Stage 2. We are proud that from year 3-6 children will read and study a minimum of 12 novels in their entirety.
Our approach to the teaching of English is underpinned by an engaging curriculum which allows children of all abilities to develop the skills to become confident speakers and then transfer these skills into becoming confident writers over time.
As they develop, children are encouraged to see writing as a powerful means of self – expression, a creative form of communication and to write for a range of purposes. Pupils in time develop the stamina and skills to write at length, with increasingly accurate spelling and punctuation.
We explore different types of writing, such as; narratives, explanations, persuasion, descriptions, comparisons, summaries and evaluations. We aim to make writing fun, purposeful and stimulating for our children. We use Alan Peat’s Sentence Types to teach children how to structure sentences in order to help them to make their writing engaging and interesting. We strive to ensure that they receive an appropriate level of challenge in each lesson.
Phonics
The school follow the Read, Write, Inc. phonics scheme to get children reading and writing quickly – and loving it! Establishing a genuine love of reading and writing in our youngest children and developing this enthusiasm as they move through school, lies at the very heart of what we do every day.
We always welcome the support and contributions of our parents and carers – and there is a lot you can do to help your child develop vital early literacy skills and set them up as passionate, lifelong readers and writers.
To learn to read children need to:
• learn 44 sounds (phonemes) and the corresponding letters/letter groups (graphemes)
• learn to read words using sound blending
Each sound has a saying that the children learn to help them remember. These can be found here (MISSING LINK)
Spelling
All children in years 1-6 have a weekly spelling test. Please ensure that your child is practising their spellings at home. This will help with their reading and writing. The children are also expected to know the ‘common exception words’ for their age. Please see below these words for your child’s year group.
Year 1 and 2 (MISSING FILE)
Year 3 and 4 (MISSING FILE)
Year 5 and 6 (MISSING FILE)
Handwriting
At Willowbrook Mead, we teach children to use cursive script. This starts from our Foundation Stage classes through to year 6.
We use ‘Letter-join’ to teach our handwriting and the children are encouraged to include cursive handwriting in all of their written work. All children have their log in details in their reading records. Please click here to log in.
We have letter formation rhymes that link to our Read, Write, Inc. phonics scheme to help our younger children with correct formation. – RWI letter formation chart (MISSING FILE)
Reading
We love reading at Willowbrook Mead! All children are given the opportunity to read on a daily basis. They take part in shared and guided reading sessions and regularly read to adults until they are fluent and confident readers. They are encouraged to take home a levelled reading book that is matched to their current reading ability and a book that can be read to them by an adult at home.
Oxford Reading Buddy
This is a digital reading service to support children’s reading development at home as well as at school. Oxford Reading Buddy contains hundreds of digital books and book-quizzes all matched to each child’s reading ability. Children can earn badges for good reading behaviours, be coached in their understanding by their personal ‘Reading Buddy’, take quizzes and record all the reading they do. Everything is captured so that your child’s class teacher can see how they are getting on. Please log in to Oxford Reading Buddy when your child brings home their sign-in card and have a look around. Do encourage your child to use it regularly and discuss what they are reading with them.
Useful Websites
Subject Policies/Plans
English Subject Intent
Reading Progression (MISSING FILE)
Writing Skills Progression
Writing Progression
Oracy Progression
Subject Champion/s
Miss C James
