Curriculum Sequencing Rationale & Implementation
KS1 and KS2
Our English curriculum is implemented through the use of rich texts and engaging pupils with a cross-curricular approach. Texts are chosen to link with the topics pupils are learning about and these are used as a springboard to inspire pupils to read and write. We believe that choosing the right context and starting point to engage our children in their learning is vital in fostering a love for reading and writing.
Our English curriculum aims to provide many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We want all of our pupils to be proficient readers, writers, spellers and speakers, who can transfer their English skills to other curriculum subjects and who are prepared for the next steps in their education. Our English lessons develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary, teaching them how to write within specific genres and which structural and language features to include to be successful. Example texts are used to start this process to enable pupils to use other similar writing as models for their own. Lessons also focus on teaching specific spelling, grammar and punctuation skills to enable our pupils to apply the skills they have been taught to their extended writing and writing across the curriculum. We teach our pupils to speak clearly, to convey their ideas fluently and confidently and to ask questions. Teachers use a wide variety of resources as appropriate to their classes, but also ensure that cross curricular links with concurrent topic work are woven into the programme of study.
Reading:
In addition to daily English lessons, our pupils develop their early reading skills through the use of ‘Little Wandles Letters and Sounds’ daily phonics programme from the very beginning of Reception – year 2. Phonics sessions take place daily with four shorter (20min) sessions and then one longer session during the week. Phonological awareness helps the development of reading by segmenting and blending sounds and the children will be heard reading regularly, both individually and in groups. We ensure that children receive high quality phonic teaching on a daily basis throughout school. At The Linden Centre we also provide individual or focused spelling and phonics sessions to ensure that our children are well placed to read and spell words with fluency and confidence.
Quality children's literature is at the heart of our pupils’ learning.
Throughout Key Stage 1 and 2 we teach English through the use of high-quality picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction engaging pupils using a wide range of teaching approaches. Children are immersed into the text through music, art, drama, discussion and role-play.
Our pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure and to read widely through our reading scheme and frequent use of the school library. Pupils at The Linden Centre continue to develop a range of reading skills, as well as a love of reading through the Accelerated Reader programme and the use of focus fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts during daily guided reading sessions. Pupils read books at their own reading and interest levels, enabling a greater sense of enjoyment and success. Best of all, they learn and grow at their own pace. There is a quizzing element to the programme to encourage challenge and interest directly linked to the books pupils have read. Our guided reading sessions cover a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction books and help to advance the children’s comprehension skills. There are daily sessions to give pupils the opportunity to take part in a range of reading activities including pre-reading, guided reading, comprehension activities and reading for pleasure.
We use a wide variety of quality texts and resources to motivate and inspire our children. For our early readers and pupils not yet off the phonics program, books are matched to the grapheme-phoneme correspondences pupils have been taught. All pupils who are ready, are placed on the Accelerated Reader programme and regularly assessed so the books they are reading are matched to their ZPD range which corresponds to their reading ability.
Writing:
All children from Reception to Year 6 are provided with many opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills across the curriculum. Initially, pupils need to be able to form the letters needed and then be able to express one’s ideas using these letters. Through shared and guided writing opportunities, we equip children to develop the skills of writing clearly and legibly. When the child is confident with these basic skills, they work towards being able to write with a greater sense of purpose and learn to organize their writing according to this purpose. Children are equipped with the necessary tools to do this, being given daily opportunities to focus on spelling and/or grammatical structures.
We develop our pupils’ writing skills so that they have the stamina and ability to write at length, applying the skills set out in the English National Curriculum. To support children in moving towards independent writing we provide a wide range of activities including the use of film and imagery, music, ICT, modelled, shared, and guided writing, peer assessment and discussion. We provide varied and exciting opportunities for writing for purpose, and we encourage pupils to see themselves as authors and poets. We promote the importance of written work by providing a writing purpose and opportunities for children’s writing to be read aloud and listened to by an audience.
Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation:
At The Linden Centre, we aim for our pupils to become fluent and effective writers. Accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar is essential to this. We use the National Curriculum 2014 as a basis for teaching Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar by introducing patterns or conventions and continually practising those already introduced.
Planning for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar:
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar strategies are taught explicitly in short interactive and investigative sessions in English. Pupils are taught key rules and strategies with opportunities to analyse how other writers have applied these skills to model texts and extracts in order for our pupils to apply these skills independently and effectively to their own writing. Pupils are taught to recognise which strategies they can use to improve their own spelling. They are encouraged to apply learnt strategies to their independent writing.
In KS1, children learn spelling largely through their daily phonic sessions. In KS2 children are taught spelling through discrete sessions each week. The teaching and learning of grammar and punctuation is embedded within the English teaching sequence. This means, grammar and punctuation skills and knowledge are built into a sequence of preparatory work which is then applied within longer pieces of writing during the teaching sequence. As they become more confident, children are encouraged to check spellings using a dictionary and to expand their vocabulary using a thesaurus.
At Ferring C of E Primary School, we also have a ‘Spelling Quest’ which all pupils take part in. ‘Ferring Spelling Quest’ is a spelling system to engage pupils in learning their spellings and rewarding them for their hard work. At the end of every half term, pupils are tested on the spelling patterns and common exception words they have been learning from the National Curriculum. The Spelling Quest has 12 fairy-tale lands. Pupils will move through fairy tale lands on the spelling display according to their scores from these half-termly tests. The Spelling Quest is in addition to their weekly spelling focus and looks to see which spelling patterns and common exception words they have secured. We celebrate the pupils’ achievements on a display in the front entrance.
Handwriting:
Cursive handwriting is taught with a sequential and progressive approach with teachers and teaching assistants modelling the handwriting style. We believe that children’s self-esteem and pride in their work can be raised by good quality presentation. Handwriting sessions are taught discretely in Reception and KS1 and regularly incorporated into the English lessons in KS2. Where pupils are off-track, extra handwriting practice opportunities will be given. Resources such as handwriting slopes and pencil grips are provided when needed. We strive for our children to correctly form their letters, joining with a cursive style with pupils having good handwriting habits so that they can write fluently and legibly by the end of KS2. Children start by learning how to form their letters in the early years. Then pupils are introduced to cursive style writing from year 1 onwards.
During lessons, we ensure that our pupils sit, position their paper/book and hold their pen/pencil correctly using their other hand to hold their work firmly. It is important that in the Early Years and at Key Stage 1, children are observed closely during the lesson to ensure that letter formation is correct and corrected if needed. In addition to specific handwriting lessons, children are expected to apply their learning in their exercise books and to show care for the presentation of their work.
Spoken Language:
This underpins the development of reading and writing and is vital for pupils' development across all aspects of the school curriculum. We provide our pupils with a wide range of opportunities to hear and use good quality and adventurous vocabulary, focusing also on variety. Correct, standard English is always modelled by the teachers and teaching assistants. Children are encouraged to ask questions, discuss in pairs and groups and to use conventions for discussion as well as debate.
Curriculum Sequencing Rationale & Implementation
Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4
The curriculum has been sequenced carefully and has been designed to ensure that firm foundations
are built from the offset, so that pupils have the skills to engage with a range of rewarding fiction
and non-fiction texts, which become more challenging as pupils progress through the key stages.
KS3 cycle A begins with a focus on both reading and writing skills, through the lens of transactional writing, introduction to Shakespeare, narrative creative writing, and poetry conversion to short stories. This enables the PSHE links to friends and family, feeling happy, truthfulness and emotions as well as preparing pupils for exploring a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils also study a whole novel, Golding’s Lord of the Flies that links in with PSHE topics of getting on and falling out as well as relationships. This allows exploration of a range of complex philosophical ideas and each section enables further development or reading, writing and spoken language skills and knowledge.
Key Stage 3 Cycle B relates to PSHE topics of New Beginnings, Choosing and Making Friends, Celebrations, People Who Care for Me, Charity and Kindness. These, along with the key elements from the National Curriculum are developed through non-fiction media advertising, report writing, Shakespeare’s Tempest, Power and Conflict Anthology, and a whole novel by Mary Shelley Frankenstein.
Key Stage 3 Cycle C looks more closely at the whole play by Willy Russell Blood Brothers as well as Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice including non-fiction unit of writing on ‘journeys’. These enable pupils to develop PSHE links to conflict solving problems, changes, relationships, self-respect, and solving problems to make things better.
With scaffolding, modelling, use of WAGOLLs, support, academic intervention, pupils have the ability to progress in their reading, writing and spoken language skills and knowledge that culminate in more extended essays and more independent work.
Key Stage 4 - Once pupils enter KS4, the focus shifts more towards GCSE skills and content (AQA examination board). Having completed the full KS3 national curriculum and some preparatory units for GCSE, pupils begin working on the creative reading and writing elements, as the skills they develop in these units underpin both the English Language and English Literature GCSE courses.
Having explored and read novels from the 19th, 20th and 21st century, on topics such as life and travel, as well as building on the non-fiction reading skills they developed during the KS3 course, pupils also work on further honing their transactional writing skills too. Pupils become secure in the skills required to answer comprehension questions through their reading and creative writing in preparation for the Language papers
Pupils use the skills and knowledge from these units in order to engage with the programs of study on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, Shakespeare’s Macbeth as well as the Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology.
Pupils also complete the GCSE spoken language endorsement, which takes the form of a formal presentation to the class. Pupils will have developed their confidence as speakers, through the completion of formal group presentations in Key Stage 3.
