English

Reading

Our curriculum statement details Intent, Implementation and Impact for Reading

Progression maps show the sequencing of learning which enables teachers to build on children’s prior knowledge and plan a series of lessons which will enable children to achieve the end points specified.

At Little Houghton CE Primary School, we value the teaching of reading very highly; learning to read is one of the keys to independence in learning. Children who read for enjoyment every day develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures.

We believe the most important factors in learning to read are: enjoyment, understanding, confidence, independence and fluency. We aim to promote a lifelong love of reading. In order to do this, children are encouraged to read a wide variety of genres during their time here. They have access to reading materials through a well-resourced library as well as books in class and books at home which all provide a reading rich environment. Our children will be both independent and reflective readers who can read fluently and for meaning.

Children use a variety of reading skills from early synthetic phonics to decoding and skimming to enable them to access all other areas of learning. As children’s reading develops at different rates, teaching is tailored to each child. Children read daily in the classroom either though group reading, individual reading or shared reading. Children are encouraged to read a range of books in school and at home and communication between staff and parents is encouraged.

We are proud to be a Schoolreaders partner school. Schoolreaders recruits, places and supports volunteers in local primary schools to give children one-to-one reading support on a weekly basis, boosting their literacy skills, confidence, and reading fluency.

Reading Spine 2024

Writing

Our curriculum statement details Intent, Implementation and Impact for Writing.

At Little Houghton CE Primary School, we want to ensure that all children see themselves as writers and are enabled to realise their potential.

In KS1 the class teacher has developed a way of teaching that revolves around storytelling and a method called ‘Mantle of the Expert’ (www.mantleoftheexpert.com). This is a drama and story-based method of teaching which enables the children to become fully immersed in their learning; they become an ‘expert’ team and are given a commission to complete by a fictional client. This is a highly engaging and effective way for children to learn.

In KS2 we follow ‘The Write Stuff’ with results that we are very proud of. The Write Stuff is the work of the teacher, author and education consultant Jane Considine. The Write Stuff brings clarity to the mechanics of writing and provides clear systems through which to focus the writer’s attention. We also use our connected curriculum units as stimulus for writing tasks.

In addition, the combination of fiction and non-fiction units we have carefully selected to follow, provide children throughout their journey with the experience of a wide range of high-quality texts and authors.

Writing units across the school