Intent

At Helmdon Primary School, our English curriculum is the crucial foundation stone for our pupils’ learning and is designed to develop children’s love of reading, writing and discussion through an ambitious English Curriculum that places books at its core. Through use of Literacy Tree we have mapped the coverage of the entire English Programme of Study for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Our driver is high-quality texts which foster a love of reading and writing, inspiring children and igniting creativity.  Our English curriculum encourages inquisitive and curious learners and helps prepare everyone for life as successful, valuable and socially responsible citizens. At the end of their time at Helmdon Primary School, children will know and feel that the world is exciting and diverse and will understand their role in protecting the planet. They will leave us confident and independent in reading and writing. We inspire an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage and a habit of reading widely, often and for pleasure. We nurture a culture where children take pride in their writing and can write clearly, imaginatively and accurately, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts. We inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening, and to question and use discussion to communicate and further their learning in all areas of the curriculum. 

Implementation

At Helmdon Primary School, we aim to create a positive reading and writing culture where both are promoted, enjoyed and considered ‘a pleasure’ for all pupils. Early reading is taught through the Read Write Inc scheme of phonics, ensuring that children link sounds and letters and simultaneously begin to recognise the shape of letters and to write. Pupils begin their reading journey on the very first day in school, learning the /m/ phoneme (sound) made by the letter M.

English and phonics lessons are taught daily throughout the school. The children develop their reading skills through a combination of 1:1 and guided reading sessions, whole class text analysis and reading sessions, independent reading and through sharing a whole-class, challenging text. By the end of Key Stage 1, our aim is that all children are able to read fluently and have progressed from phonics-based books to reading, at minimum, simple chapter and non-fiction literature. Many will develop the fluency required to successfully engage with Accelerated Reader before the end of Year 2. In Key Stage 2, children engage with Accelerated Reader, which promotes the reading of a wide variety of authors and genres whilst also ensuring understanding (comprehension) is reinforced. Where required, daily interventions are carefully planned and led by our most experienced staff, to ensure that all children make progress and are able to keep up with their peers

Reading is underpinned by rich, diverse and high-quality whole texts, mapped for all year groups, to ensure progression and so children enjoy challenging and engaging texts from across the globe. We use high-quality books that offer opportunities for empathy and as a means of developing spoken language through debate, drama and discussion using the issues raised through, and within, the texts. 

Reading for pleasure is promoted explicitly: all children visit the school library, weekly; all Key Stage 1 children engage in a specific reward-based reading challenge to encourage independent and at-home reading; ‘bedtime book boxes’ accompany all our Key Stage 1 children home, at least once per year; reading successes are celebrated in ‘celebration assemblies’; Reading Ambassadors become vital reading buddies to younger children; and regular story times introduce a variety of stories to all year groups.

Impact

The effectiveness of our English curriculum is regularly assessed and reviewed, in order we ensure that all children are making good progress. At the end of Key Stage 1, through the teaching of systematic phonics, all children will become fluent readers and will have begun their writing journey. By the end of Year 6, our children will share a deep love of reading and will have a good knowledge of a range of diverse authors and texts. They will be able to hold positive conversations, present ideas orally and effectively participate in debates. Our children will be able to write competently, accurately and at length, using a broad and mature vocabulary and, perhaps most importantly, will be able and ready to read and learn in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.

In summary:

• Our children will develop a love of reading and writing, seeing themselves as writers.
• The % of children working at ARE within each year group will be at least in line with national averages.
• The % of children working at Greater Depth within each year group will be at least in line with national averages.
• Pupil Premium children will make good progress from their starting points and the gap between them and others is narrowed through a love of literacy.
• Children develop and use literacy skills in subjects across the curriculum.
• Every child will write well and fluently, with the ability to communicate meaning effectively for a range of purposes and to a range of audiences.
• Children will speak confidently to a range of audiences and for a variety of purposes, and they listen effectively.
• Children will leave us with a broader cultural capital and a deeper understanding of the world around them, and the ability to develop informed points of view.