English.

At Christ Church, each year band carefully selects a range of high-quality texts to meet the needs of our children. These are integral to the delivery of our English curriculum so that it is well-sequenced, coherent and allows every child to succeed.

 To ensure reciprocity between reading, writing, speaking and listening, the class text is fundamental. This exposes our learners to a range of accredited authors whose style inspires a love of literature and a desire to want to become accomplished and life-long readers and writers.

 Teaching allows for collaboration and inclusivity, whilst instilling confidence and competence. Children are given opportunities to read for pleasure as well as for information, by reading widely and often.  Through discussion, presentation and formal writing our children will be able to participate and explain themselves clearly.

Children are encouraged to take pride in their written work; writing for real life purposes and audiences, whilst adapting their language and style appropriately. Children aspire to present written work to a high quality using Standard English that can be applied in different contexts and across the curriculum.

At the heart of our English curriculum, are a range of texts, which are high quality, age-appropriate, cross-curricular and relevant to our children. These have been carefully matched not only to our themes, but also to the children in the different cohorts.  Fluidity and progression is at the core, ensuring that there is complete coverage of National Curriculum objectives, whilst secure teacher subject knowledge allows flexibility of texts dependent on children’s interests and ability.

All children in our school, receive a daily English lesson.  In EYFS and Year 1 children have daily phonics sessions following Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised. In Year 2-6, we follow SCODE a clear, systematic scheme, which provides children with life-long strategies. This logical approach builds on phonics learning from EYFS/Year 1.

Reading sessions throughout the school are delivered daily, using a range of teaching approaches including Team Read and individual. Children are given the opportunity to discuss texts. They record their understanding of the different reading domains through responses to VIPERS and Alan Peat questions.  We appreciate the support of our families in encouraging their child to read often at home and interact with them regarding their text.  All children in the school have access to a reading practice book and a Team Read to share with an adult. Furthermore Accelerated Reader allows children from year 3-6 to choose a book within their readability (ZPD) and interest range. Children take a book quiz when they have finished reading the text so that their understanding can be assessed. Termly progress assessments are taken with a Star quiz so that ZPD ranges are updated and so that staff can monitor and review progress.

 Our children adopt a print style up to the end of Key Stage One. Upon transition to Key Stage Two, children begin to learn a cursive handwriting style. When this is consistent and legible, children will receive a pen licence and a pen to celebrate their success.

To encourage and promote enjoyment in reading and writing, events take place often and throughout the year. These include author visits, library visits, World Book Day, parent open lessons and workshops and assemblies.

The impact on our children is clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills.  With the implementation of the writing journey being well established and taught thoroughly in both key stages, children are becoming more confident writers and by the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.  Our children will develop good lifelong reading habits eg reading for pleasure and reading for information.  They will read audibly, accurately and coherently adapting their voice to suit a range of purposes, audience and text types. Children will talk positively about their English learning. 

All teachers will be competent and confident in all areas of English teaching and will be able to provide and receive feedback within peer teams. Teachers will understand English progression across the school. This will assist Christ Church in maintaining good end-of-key stage outcomes, aiming to stay in line with Wirral, and striving to be in line with national figures.

We hope that as children move on from us to further their education and learning that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.