English at Stockton Heath Primary School
Subject Leader: Mrs Robinson
Sound English skills are essential for progress across the curriculum and to prepare pupils effectively for tasks of adult life.
At Stockton Heath Primary School, we recognise the effect that a confident, fluent and coherent understanding of English will have on a pupil’s progress, both inside and outside of the school environment. We understand how a strong grounding in English will impact the future learning and development of a pupil in all aspects of their life and, therefore, we provide a balanced and broad curriculum which encompasses writing practice, including handwriting, spelling, widening vocabulary, and writing for different styles, purposes, and audiences, as well as focussing on spoken English, reading, grammar and pronunciation.
Progression in English
We use a range of resources for the teaching of English, but below is the overview of progression through the 'feature keys' in Pathways to Write, one of our main resources for the teaching of writing.
You will also find the overview for Pathways to Read, which is adjusted to suit the needs of each cohort through school.
Reading
In the shared and grouped read of Pathways to Read, there is a clear teaching focus with the opportunity to master key reading skills in the session and other sessions in the half term. There are follow on reading tasks to enable pupils to evidence the skills they have mastered independently.
We adjust this model to suit our children's needs in reading.
Writing
Pathways to Write follows a Mastery-Learning model. Key skills are taught and repeated; there are multiple opportunities throughout each unit to use and apply the skills until they can be mastered fully. Within each sequence, there are many opportunities for incidental short- burst writing with an extended written outcome built up to by the end of each unit. The ideas and work are pitched at ARE, but there are suggested activities for greater depth pupils in most lessons and for every final writing outcome.
Spelling
Pathways to Spell is a programme designed to deliver the statutory content of the Primary National Curriculum for spelling in key stages 1 and 2. Through weekly teaching of spelling objectives and development of a whole school approach to word transcription, vocabulary development and proof-reading, the programme aims to:
• Ensure that pupils become confident and competent spellers
• Enthuse and fascinate pupils about words and language
• Develop pupils spoken language skills
• Promote collaborative learning in the classroom
• Develop an engaging spelling environment across school
• Effectively reduce teacher workload with a highly detailed, progressive and engaging planning for the delivery of spelling teaching