English
We believe Literacy is of paramount importance as it underpins all other areas of the curriculum. The children are provided with a wide range of quality experiences in reading, writing and speaking and listening to enable them to become adept communicators.
Pupils have a daily English session each morning. Spelling, grammar, handwriting and punctuation are taught in English lessons and embedded across the curriculum. Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have daily phonics as part of this in differentiated groups using the 'Read, Write Inc' scheme. English work focuses on a class text each half term, through the Power of Reading scheme, which they read together and which inspires a wide range of fiction and non-fiction writing, poetry, debate, drama and artwork.
We promote an enjoyment and love of books by having reading areas in each classroom, with books which match pupils' phonic learning as well as fiction and non-fiction texts and these are also regularly updated from our library. Two Year 5/6 pupils act as librarians, organising the library, recommending books and giving pupils the opportunity to borrow books for home each week.
In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, pupils bring home a RWI book bag book to read each week. Please see the letter at the bottom of this page for full information of how our reading scheme works in EYFS and KS1.
From Year 3 we follow the Oxford Reading Tree Treetops scheme and encourage pupils to read regularly to an adult at home and we have a full set of Treetops books which include classics, 'greatest stories' selected by Michael Morpurgo, 'chucklers' selected by Jeremy Strong and non-fiction 'in-fact' books too. Please see the letter below for more details about Years 2-6 following on from RWI.
All pupils are also encouraged to take home a reading book for pleasure, chosen during their class library time.
All classes have a selection of quality stories to enjoy together during their daily class story times, selected from the Book Trust reading lists and covering a wide range of themes, people and places as well as poetry and rhymes. Pupils also take part in regular reading aloud to an adult and guided reading sessions.
We encourage the development of speaking and listening through drama and role-play activities, with opportunities for debating activities and performing in class assemblies, nativity concerts and our end of year production.
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar are taught explicitly each week, as well as through writing across the curriculum. Please see the English Curriculum Plan at the bottom of this page for more details.
Pupils are encouraged to be ambitious in their reading and we have a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry books in our library. We celebrate reading through our weekly Golden Book and annual events such as World Book Day, Roald Dahl Day and Puffin Virtually Live Events. Our World Book Day events have included a breakfast and stories family session, competitions such as decorated kitchen roll characters, quizzes and dressing up!
More able readers take part in the Calderdale Schools World Book Day Quiz and the Calderdale Book of the Year event, where they read 8 shortlisted books, give their feedback to the authors, take part in activity sessions and then vote for their favourite! As a through school we also have access to the High School Library for enrichment and challenge at Key Stage 2 and we are currently working together to develop buddy readers and joint events together to promote a love of reading!