English Curriculum Intent

The English curriculum at Stretton will ensure all children gain the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to become competent readers and writers as well as articulate linguists. 

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 that 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.  Lessons and story times will inspire a love of reading as well as equipping children with the ability to question texts to extend further their own understanding and the skills necessary to gain knowledge across the wider curriculum as independent learners.

As writers….

Children at Stretton will sequentially build their knowledge of fiction and non-fiction genres and be taught the writing process through:

• immersion in quality texts and other stimuli for writing
• analysis of high-quality models for writing
• identifying author techniques
• the teaching of age-appropriate grammar
• vocabulary exploration and extension

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 making links between text analysis and taught grammatical structures and spelling rules.  Lessons will equip children with the ability to express their ideas, taking pride in their writing and developing creativity and enjoyment alongside technical proficiency. 

As speakers….

Children at Stretton will develop their spoken language 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 both the written and spoken word.  They will also acquire the necessary skills to be able consciously to control their speaking and writing using correct standard English in order to be successful in the next stage of their education. 

English Curriculum Implementation

We place books at the heart of all of our learning in English.  The curriculum map shows the focus texts which will be used as a vehicle for our reading and writing lessons along with expected writing outcomes.   We are constantly reviewing quality texts which can be used as a vehicle for this teaching.  In addition to this, children will experience daily story time sessions where teachers will model and promote a love of reading.