Intent: 

Literacy lies at the heart of the curriculum at Kirkbampton CE Primary School. We aim for our pupils to have a lifelong enthusiasm for reading and writing as we believe these skills are essential for their futures. It is our intention to immerse pupils in the wonders of quality texts (across many genres) to instil a love for reading, a love for writing across the curriculum, a passion for discovery and a confidence to explore their imagination. Literacy is a core subject of the National Curriculum and a prerequisite for educational and social progress. Through phonics, growing confidence in basic language skills enables our children to communicate clearly and creatively. Literacy underpins the work undertaken in all other areas of the curriculum.

Implementation:

Reading

• All children take a reading book home at their individual level which is changed frequently.
• Children rewarded for completing individual reading challenges which run across the academic year.

• Children are read to daily in EYFS and Key Stage 1. This can be a book that the teacher recommends to the class or a recommendation from a child.

• Children take part in Guided Reading lessons (either in small groups or whole class), where they are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate their understanding and thinking behind these.

• Each classroom has a selection of books which are directly linked to the class topic; these are sometimes ordered in from the School Library Services. This offers opportunities for pupils to apply their reading skills across the curriculum.

Writing

• Writing isn’t constrained to the Literacy lesson. Extending across the curriculum, we also encourage children to write about global issues, links to our local area and personal experiences.
• Children are inspired to write freely, like the authors they have accessed, with a sense of enjoyment and enthusiasm.
• Early writing activities and opportunities are provided daily in the Early Years.
• Cursive handwriting from Year 1 onwards is our expectation. Weekly handwriting sessions ensure the children progress to writing with a clear and legible style.

Phonics

• Through the teaching of letters and sounds the children are taught the essential skills needed for speaking and reading. Phonics is taught daily to all children in Foundation Stage, and KS1 using Little Wandle Letters and sounds revised. Extra support is provided to those in Year 2 who have not passed phonics screening in Year 1 and interventions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels. Children are taught in their classes and teachers/teaching assistants teach intervention groups for those children who need extra support.
• Teachers regularly assess the pupil’s phonics knowledge using the phonics assessment and past Phonics Screening Check papers. These regular assessments inform planning and allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning.
• Parents may find the follwoing link useful for more information on Little Wandle https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

SPaG

• Across school from Year 1 upwards children learn spellings in school and at home weekly. These include the common exception words and statutory spellings for other year groups from the National Curriculum. In KS1 children also learn words which contain the spelling rules they are learning in their phonics and spelling sessions. The children are tested on these words on a weekly basis and scores are shared with parents. Children who need additional support with spelling receive a variety of interventions that are tailored to address their gaps.
• In the Foundation Stage and Year 1, grammar and punctuation are taught in context across the curriculum. Across the rest of the school, grammar and punctuation are taught explicitly through daily basic skills sessions and is referred back to when modelling writing.

Impact:

By the time children leave Kirkbampton CE Primary, they are competent readers, writers and confident speakers who can contribute to a broad range of discussions with a knowledge they’ve gained across the curriculum, read widely and write across a range of genres.

Writing

Writing is taught to every child in some form every day. From a young age, children are given opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audience, constantly practising their writing skills.

Teachers model writing to the children on a daily basis allowing them to be aware of different writing styles. We encourage children to check their work independently for accuracy, sense and meaning.

Reading and Writing Rolling Programmes of Genres (Please click for each one)

Spelling and grammar

Spelling and grammar are taught throughout the school within daily sessions of Literacy and discretely if the teacher feels it necessary. Practise of spellings and grammar are encouraged throughout the curriculum.

Phonics

Phonics is taught daily in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Sessions are adapted from the Letters and Sounds programme.

Reading

Children are encouraged to read for pleasure and to choose their own books with carefully structured teacher guidance.  Reading Skills are practised daily in all classes. In EYFS and Key Stage 1, teachers/teaching assistants aim to listen to the children, independently, at least once a week as well as in Guided Reading Sessions.

In Lower Key Stage 2 children are listened to during Guided Reading sessions weekly and as often as possible for independent reading. In Key Stage 2 children are encouraged to read more independently and are given 15 minutes a day to do this.

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening skills are taught and used every day within the classroom in each subject and in discrete Drama lessons, as part of Literacy lessons.