CATHCART STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL
ENGLISH VISION
At Cathcart Street, English lies at the heart of all learning as across the curriculum, we provide engaging and enjoyable opportunities for learners to develop and practise their literacy skills to enable them to become skilled communicators.
Intent
At Cathcart Street, our intent is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. This is achieved through the use of Literacy Counts: Ready, Steady, Write; the Ready, Steady, Comprehend programme; Babcock Spelling and our Phonics programme - Read, Write Inc.
These programmes are designed to support a mastery approach to teaching and learning as well as supporting the aims of the National Curriculum so that all pupils:
- read fluently
- read for pleasure
- acquire a wide vocabulary
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently
- discuss their learning and understanding
- demonstrate their understanding orally
(National Curriculum, 2014)
Implementation
At Cathcart Street, we use Literacy Counts materials to ensure that our pupils follow a programme of study which build small steps of progress over time to master English. The resources have been written in line with the English National Curriculum.
Key Learning Objectives have been mapped out so that children will learn each year to ensure progression and mastery. Our approach is all underpinned by the Immerse, Analyse, Plan and Write model with vocabulary and grammar woven throughout at every stage. We use the Ready, Steady, Comprehend programme materials to meet these key learning objectives in Reading, Ready, Steady, Write in Writing and Babcock Spelling resources to develop whole-school spelling. Teachers use these materials when planning to meet the needs of their own classes and adapting planning and learning through:
- Precise questioning to assess knowledge and understanding, or extend thinking.
- Effective use of tools, texts and excerpts in each lesson to develop children’s comprehension of new key learning.
- Efficient use of support structures to ensure the needs of all are met.
Lessons are taught with a balance of work class work, group work, practical tasks and individual practice to encourage oracy, life-skills, relationships and independence.
In Key Stage 1 and EYFS, the Read, Write Inc programme takes precedence over Babcock spelling for those children still accessing phonics support.
In KS2, some children are still accessing the Read, Write Inc programme, but this is alongside Literacy Counts programmes.
In Early Years Foundation Stage, we relate the Reading and Writing aspects of children’s work to the Birth to 5 Matters programme and the Early Learning Goals.
Impact
By implementing the intent, children at Cathcart Street should:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate