Literacy, Reading, Writing, Spelling, Handwriting, Speaking and Listening
English
The English curriculum covers reading, writing, speaking and listening. Reading involves the development of phonics and a wide range of reading for meaning skills. Writing comprises of the development of spelling, grammar and punctuation skills as well as composition of longer texts and writing for effect. Teaching staff use the objectives set out in the 2014 National Curriculum and 2007 Letters and Sounds phonics curriculum to develop a varied and interesting curriculum that meets statutory requirements. 
Reading
In Nursery children develop Phase 1 phonic skills (see grid) which involves distinguishing between different sounds in the environment and in spoken language. They develop pre-reading skills by using picture only books to tell stories in their own words using visual stimulus. In Reception children quickly move through phonic Phases 2 – 4, with some moving onto Phase 5, (see grid) learning phonemes and the corresponding graphemes to blend sounds to read and segment to spell. Children read phonically decodable reading books and work through a system of word boxes to embed these skills. Tricky, non decodable, words are also part of daily phonic practice. At St Catherines we give a high priority to the teaching of systematic phonics and workshops are provided for parents. In Key Stage 1 the development of phonic knowledge is continued and the children develop further, reading for meaning. Year 1 revise phonic Phases 3, 4 and then move onto Phase 5 (see grid) and develop their skills using well-known stories and those containing predictable and patterned language. Year 2 focus on phonic Phase 6 and introduce children to a wider range of genres and develop reading for meaning skills such as; recall, inference and commenting on preferences. By Key Stage 2 many children are becoming confident readers and a greater focus is put on children's ability to analyse and comment on what they have read. In English lessons children identify the features of different text types as a first step to developing writing in that genre. The teaching of Reading across the school is enhanced further with our involvement in the Power of Reading project which is designed to engage children and improve attitudes to learning. By using carefully chosen books and teaching sequences we are able to ensure that children’s engagement with text is varied and exciting. Children in all classes are also read to, on a regular basis, by their class teacher in order to further promote a love of reading. In Years 2 – 6 Guided Reading takes place each week throughout the year, using an excellent and engaging scheme from Oxford Reading Tree. During this time children spend at least half an hour in a small group with either a teacher or member of support staff. These lessons focus on key reading skills of:
The school has engaging and well stocked fiction reading corners in each class, linked to the class topic, that the children can borrow books from. We also have a well stocked non-fiction library that is used to support class work and from which the children can also borrow books on a loan and return system using finger print recognition. A number of children in the school volunteer as Junior Librarians to ensure the library can also be accessed at lunchtimes. In 2012 the school purchased a new reading scheme from Oxford Reading Tree. It contains books suitable for all stages, starting with picture only books and phonically structured texts, building to a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry titles, developing to a variety of texts including graphic novels and adapted classics for children in the upper school. All children are asked to read these books daily at home and are listened to read at school at least once a week by a member of staff, with all sessions being recorded in their reading records. The school aims to promote children's love of reading at all times and a notable event in our school calendar is our annual celebration of World Book Day. On this non-curriculum day, the whole school dress as their favourite book characters and take part in a wide range of book related activities. We also take part in national reading challenges, promote the summer reading challenge and provide an opportunity for the children to visit the local public library during the year. |
Curriculum |
Writing
Foundation Stage
In Nursery the children focus on developing fine motor skills working towards pencil control and mark making through a wide range of activities. In Reception, alongside phonics, children begin to form letters and further access independent writing and fine motor skills activities. Handwriting is practised on a weekly basis using dough disco to support. Children are encouraged to spell phonetically beginning with initial then end and middle sounds. These skills are practised in the weekly news writing lesson.
Key Stage 1 and 2
The school uses the the Big Write model to teach writing in Key Stages 1 and 2. This programme works on two main principles:
The development of the key skills of vocabulary, sentences openers, punctuation, and connectives (VCOP)
That in order to be good writers children need to be good talkers who can construct correct sentences, use a wide range of vocabulary and clearly explain their ideas through oral rehearsal
In class, pupils either complete a piece of big writing each week based on the genre they are currently studying, or they practise a genre already covered, when producing a piece of writing based on another area of the curriculum, usually RE or topic work.
Prior to this lesson children are set 'talk homework' which is an opportunity, at home, to orally develop their ideas for their writing. No written outcomes of this homework are expected. Evidence shows that children who complete this homework are far more confident and therefore successful in their writing endeavours in school.
On Big Write day children spend a session between 10 and 45 minutes before break, practising one of the basic skills, learning to improve their ideas through written or oral 'up levelling activities', orally rehearsing their writing with a talk partner and producing a quick plan. After break children spend between 20 minutes and an hour with increasing independence, writing in silence, with only limited support from staff.
Children are given the opportunity to produce writing in a full range of fiction and non-fiction styles and for different purposes and audiences. Writing in all areas of the curriculum is important and as such children are expected to produce their best writing in all areas of the curriculum.
Foundation Stage
In Nursery the children focus on developing fine motor skills working towards pencil control and mark making through a wide range of activities. In Reception, alongside phonics, children begin to form letters and further access independent writing and fine motor skills activities. Handwriting is practised on a weekly basis using dough disco to support. Children are encouraged to spell phonetically beginning with initial then end and middle sounds. These skills are practised in the weekly news writing lesson.
Key Stage 1 and 2
The school uses the the Big Write model to teach writing in Key Stages 1 and 2. This programme works on two main principles:
The development of the key skills of vocabulary, sentences openers, punctuation, and connectives (VCOP)
That in order to be good writers children need to be good talkers who can construct correct sentences, use a wide range of vocabulary and clearly explain their ideas through oral rehearsal
In class, pupils either complete a piece of big writing each week based on the genre they are currently studying, or they practise a genre already covered, when producing a piece of writing based on another area of the curriculum, usually RE or topic work.
Prior to this lesson children are set 'talk homework' which is an opportunity, at home, to orally develop their ideas for their writing. No written outcomes of this homework are expected. Evidence shows that children who complete this homework are far more confident and therefore successful in their writing endeavours in school.
On Big Write day children spend a session between 10 and 45 minutes before break, practising one of the basic skills, learning to improve their ideas through written or oral 'up levelling activities', orally rehearsing their writing with a talk partner and producing a quick plan. After break children spend between 20 minutes and an hour with increasing independence, writing in silence, with only limited support from staff.
Children are given the opportunity to produce writing in a full range of fiction and non-fiction styles and for different purposes and audiences. Writing in all areas of the curriculum is important and as such children are expected to produce their best writing in all areas of the curriculum.
SPELLING
In Key Stage 1 phonic lessons play a key role in the development of spelling key, phonetically decodable spellings and other key sight vocabulary, known as tricky words, that cannot be phonetically decoded.
In addition to this, children from Years 1 to 6 use the Nelson Spelling scheme to learn key spelling patterns and rules. In Key Stage 2 the rules covered in these lessons then form part of the children's weekly spelling homework list, which contain; a family of words based on a spelling rule, key vocabulary, topic words and more challenging extension vocabulary. Children throughout Key Stage 2 continue to revisit phonic knowledge from Phases 5 and 6 on a weekly basis using the LCP Phonics to Spelling programme.
In Key Stage 1 phonic lessons play a key role in the development of spelling key, phonetically decodable spellings and other key sight vocabulary, known as tricky words, that cannot be phonetically decoded.
In addition to this, children from Years 1 to 6 use the Nelson Spelling scheme to learn key spelling patterns and rules. In Key Stage 2 the rules covered in these lessons then form part of the children's weekly spelling homework list, which contain; a family of words based on a spelling rule, key vocabulary, topic words and more challenging extension vocabulary. Children throughout Key Stage 2 continue to revisit phonic knowledge from Phases 5 and 6 on a weekly basis using the LCP Phonics to Spelling programme.
HANDWRITING
Presentation and handwriting are given a high priority at St Catherine School. Children have at the very least a weekly handwriting lessons. In Key Stage 1 children write in pencil, then in Year 3, when children can show consistent neat, joined handwriting they are awarded a Pen Licence. Pens are then used throughout the rest of the school.
Children start with basic letter formation in Reception and move to letters with 'tails' - the pre-cursive (joined) stage- in Year 1. By the end of year 2 children are working on joined or cursive handwriting.
Presentation and handwriting are given a high priority at St Catherine School. Children have at the very least a weekly handwriting lessons. In Key Stage 1 children write in pencil, then in Year 3, when children can show consistent neat, joined handwriting they are awarded a Pen Licence. Pens are then used throughout the rest of the school.
Children start with basic letter formation in Reception and move to letters with 'tails' - the pre-cursive (joined) stage- in Year 1. By the end of year 2 children are working on joined or cursive handwriting.
SPOKEN LANGUAGE
Speaking and listening opportunities are provided for the children through a number of different activities across the curriculum. These include; hotseating characters from history or stories, debating geographical and historical issues in theme lessons, discussing ideas in P4C (Philisophy for Children), performing poems or plays in English, reading in class assemblies and whole school masses, taking part in Christmas, Easter and end of Year performances and listening to and appraising different forms of music in music lessons. Most significantly, all children across the school take part in the Hillingdon Borough Competition, Look Who’s Talking. Children are asked to recite a poem by heart, give a talk on an object or subject that is special to them and answer questions about their talk.
Speaking and listening opportunities are provided for the children through a number of different activities across the curriculum. These include; hotseating characters from history or stories, debating geographical and historical issues in theme lessons, discussing ideas in P4C (Philisophy for Children), performing poems or plays in English, reading in class assemblies and whole school masses, taking part in Christmas, Easter and end of Year performances and listening to and appraising different forms of music in music lessons. Most significantly, all children across the school take part in the Hillingdon Borough Competition, Look Who’s Talking. Children are asked to recite a poem by heart, give a talk on an object or subject that is special to them and answer questions about their talk.
