English at Stretton 

‘Let your light shine’ Our vision for our community is for everyone, children and adults, to flourish and shine brightly as the best and fullest version of their unique selves. We aim high and do not let circumstances limit us. ‘I will shine. We will shine as, together, we grow in wisdom, learning from the teachings of Jesus, to serve our community.’ Our English curriculum has been designed to allow children to let their light shine as both readers, writers and speakers.

English is a core subject of the National Curriculum and a prerequisite for educational and social progress as it underpins the work undertaken in all other areas of the curriculum. The acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills is of the utmost importance to everyone at Stretton and therefore the teaching of all aspects of English is given a high priority within school. Confidence in core language skills enables children to communicate creatively and imaginatively, preparing them for their future journey through education and beyond. We aim to:

• Create a positive reading and writing culture in school, where both are promoted, enjoyed and considered a pleasure for all pupils
• Ensure that every child becomes a reader, a writer and a confident speaker by the time they leave Stretton Church of England Academy
• Derive a tailored English curriculum that is sequenced to develop the acquisition of knowledge and skills.
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As readers…

We are determined that all children at Stretton will learn to read and become fluent readers, regardless of their starting points.  Early reading is at the forefront of everything we do and we use Read Write Inc. to provide a progressive program of synthetic phonics which will enable all children to learn to read successfully.  Children will read books matched to taught sounds to enable them to progress through the program.  Our rich reading curriculum is sequenced coherently throughout the school to provide exposure to a wide range of increasingly more challenging texts in a range of genres and by a variety of authors. Use of Accelerated Reader ensures that pupils are reading books which are well-matched to their developing needs.  Lessons, worship and story times will inspire a love of reading as well as equipping children with the ability to question texts to further extend their own understanding and the skills necessary to gain knowledge across the wider curriculum as independent learners. 

As writers….

We will build upon our love of reading, with children being immersed in high-quality texts which engage and enthuse them to write for a range of purposes. Children at Stretton will sequentially study fiction and non-fiction genres, expanding their writing repertoire as they progress through school. They will be taught the writing process through analysis of high-quality models for writing, identifying author techniques and by acquiring rich, ever-expanding vocabulary. Grammar progression is sequenced carefully throughout each key stage, building on concepts previously studied and covering the full range of grammatical concepts covered in KS2. Planned writing opportunities will be in a varied range of genres and for real purposes and audiences. The children will plan, draft and edit their own writing, considering word, sentence and text-level features to build cohesive writing.  Lessons will equip children with the ability to express their ideas, taking pride in their writing, developing creativity whilst demonstrating technical proficiency. 

As speakers….

Children at Stretton will develop their spoken language, with the aim of being able to debate and to express well-balanced arguments about contemporary issues in society and the environment.  Opportunities for talk are built into each lesson to formulate ideas, structures for writing and to self-assess. As a result of this, pupils will become confident and conscious communicators who can self-regulate their understanding of the spoken word.  Pupils will develop the skills needed to be successful and articulate in the next stage of their education.