English

Intent

At NLAS, a high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and, through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. We understand that our children have the right to explore an enriched and exciting curriculum which provides purposeful and meaningful opportunities to write, embracing every child’s uniqueness and nurturing their creativity Our pupils are encouraged to develop the stamina and skills to write at length, use accurate spelling and punctuation, be grammatically correct, write in range of ways and purposes including narrative, explanations, descriptions, comparisons, summaries and evaluations and write to support their understanding and consolidation of what they have heard or read. We understand what it is to be a writer and allow children the time and space to develop their own style and confidence. Our aim is for every child to develop a life-long love of reading, appreciating the value of literature and its power to transport, educate and heal. Every unit aims to immerse the children in a new world of high-quality literature, and our approach to teaching reading enables all children to become fluent readers, develop their background knowledge, expand their vocabulary and broaden their understanding of genres. We aim to develop children’s speaking and listening skills so that they feel confident and competent in communicating their ideas through a range of different experiences and for a variety of purposes. By the time children leave NLAS they will be equipped with the literacy skills to succeed in life.

Our Four Curriculum Drivers underpin our approach to learning across all subjects at NLAS.

Implementation

Reading and writing is taught during English sessions through contextualised learning linked to key texts. Grammar, language and punctuation skills are taught through analysis of the author’s use of effective vocabulary choices, language structures and writing style, and by using a key text as a model during the writing process. Children are given opportunities to imitate the author’s style, reflect on why the writing is effective, then practise and develop their own writing style using the skills they have learnt. Links are made across the curriculum to join up learning and make writing meaningful and these skills are woven into a curriculum which promotes a love of reading and places an emphasis on learning to read early, which then allows our children to read to learn. We use high quality texts and ensure children are exposed to a variety of text types and authors to allow them to find that love for books. In the early stages of reading, we teach children to decode words using phonic skills as their main approach, alongside which we teach sight vocabulary. Once grasped, the focus for developing reading is understanding and comprehension.

Impact

We nurture confident children who engage in deep conversations and debates about topics and important issues. Children question each other in a challenging, yet respectful way, to further understanding and explore meaning. Role-play is used to develop children’s expression and confidence and all children get the opportunity to perform to a wider audience. We teach children to present clearly and use intonation and expression to capture an audience and entertain. As readers and writers, we develop children  who take pride in and enjoy showcasing the development and progression of their knowledge and skills. At the end of their journey at NLAS, our children are able to read fluently for both pleasure and knowledge, debate their ideas, take risks in their writing and have the skills to think creatively, curiously and boldly.