At Winstanley Primary School, we apply a book based approach to the teaching of English. From EYFS to Y6, children are immersed in a literary world, with the aim of developing their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
Click the links below to see our Reading Newsletters:
What do English lessons look like?
Teachers promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping children with a strong command of the spoken and written language.
Early Years
In Early Years, the teaching of English is broken into small segments and is taught throughout the day. There is a mix of direct teaching with teachers and teaching assistants and self-led activities in the continual provision. Phonics lessons are taught every day and children take part in a weekly guided reading session. In both EYFS and KS1, Phonics is taught using the systematic Phonics Programme, ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds’.
Click here for a link to the EYFS framework
Click here for a link to Little Wandle
KS1 and KS2
In KS1 and KS2 children have a daily English lesson, including daily Phonics in KS1. The approach of using literature at the heart of the English Curriculum, ensures that children are exposed to a wide-range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. We use high quality books, ensuring that objectives for reading and writing, including those for grammar can have purpose. We will always aim for our writing opportunities to be meaningful; whether short or long and that the audience is clear. Reading comprehension is explicitly embedded through prediction and inference and spelling skills are explored and linked to vocabulary acquisition. In KS2 we use the spelling programme ‘Nessy’.
Click here for a link to our whole school long term English plan
From Early Years to Year 6 teachers plan lots of opportunities for children to practise their writing skills within other curriculum areas and not just in English lessons.
Reading Schemes
In EYFS, we use the reading scheme Big Cat Readers for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised to teach children to read phonetically.
In EYFS and KS1 we use the reading scheme, Big Cat Readers for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is linked to our phonics programme. Continuing into KS2, the main reading scheme we use is Oxford Reading Tree, until children become fluent, ‘free readers’.
Promoting a love of reading/enrichment
A reading culture is embedded throughout our school;
- classrooms have their own library and reading corners
- children are read to daily by their teacher purely for enjoyment
- StarBooks is our whole school reading incentive which is aimed to get children reading as widely and as often as possible.
- Local author and poet visits
- World Book Day
- The Book Fair
- A half termly ‘reading champion’ is chosen from each class. These children then have the opportunity to celebrate their reading achievements, with a hot chocolate and biscuits with our head teacher.
How can I help my child with reading at home?
Read with your child for 10-15 minutes each day. Ask them questions about their reading. Your child’s reading record has questions which are designed to deepen their understanding of their text. Don’t forget to fill in your child’s reading record.
Click here for questions to ask your KS1 child whilst reading
Click here for questions to ask your KS2 child whilst reading
Assessment
Writing, reading and spelling punctuation and grammar (KS2) is assessed termly against the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum.
National Curriculum Testing
Y1 and Y2 children will undergo a Phonics screening check. At the end of each Key Stage, children are required to sit end of Key Stage assessments (SATS) to assess their attainment and progress in reading and SPAG (KS2 only).