English

Subject Leader: Sarah Batchelor

Link Governor: John O’Maoleoin

English

At Clapham Terrace, we believe that every child should have access to a stimulating and creative English curriculum. We aim to give every child the best possible opportunities to become a confident and literate global citizen. To do this, we believe every child must develop a love of reading to support their writing and language skills. That is why reading is at the heart of our school. We have a wonderful library that is regularly used by everyone and rich stimulating texts that have been clearly planned and selected, as well as enjoyable class books that we read each day. We believe that children need to have regular and meaningful opportunities to write. Therefore, we ensure that all our subjects support our children to develop and embed their understanding of spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary and in becoming creative.

Reading

Reading is embedded within the whole school curriculum and takes place in all lessons, as well as through class story time. High quality texts are used as a stimulus to develop speaking and listening, reading and writing skills.  In addition, children take part in whole class daily reading lessons where they read and respond to a variety of text types.

We are committed to enabling children to become motivated and independent readers. We ensure that children are encouraged to read a range of genres every year; this includes class novels,  books linked to topics, free reading books and guided reading texts.  While children are learning to read, we teach using Monster Phonics and books that are matched to their phonics stage and later onto a reading book band match to their level. Once children are confident readers, they move onto carefully selected free reading books.

Reading Ambassadors

Our Reading Ambassadors, are all trained to organise their class’s library cards, which every child uses to borrow and return school library books. The Reading Ambassadors are a group of children from Reception to Year 6, who contribute to reading events happening across the school.

For example the ambassadors have:

• Promote and organise our annual Book Swap event
• Share ideas which has led to book giveaways
• Update and organise our school library
• Check out and return library books to their class
• Collaborate as a group to improve and develop reading and book events across our school

Reading Patron

At Clapham Terrace we are very fortunate to have our own Patron of Reading – Stephanie Clarkson.  Stephanie is a children’s author who comes in to work with all of our pupils, she has led assemblies, workshops with each class and has worked closely with our reading ambassadors and CTCN journalists.

Phonics

We follow the Monster Phonics systematic synthetic phonics programme. It is fun and highly multisensory, therefore all our learners can access and engage in phonics lessons. We teach phonics five times each week for 30 minutes to help children become confident and fluent readers. In addition to phonics lessons, we provide targeted intervention to support every child in making progress.

Monster Phonics Progression Reception 

Monster Phonics Progression Year 1

Monster Phonics Progression Year 2

Writing

In our school, we are passionate about developing enthusiastic and creative writers; children are given the opportunity to write for a wide range of purposes and audiences, not only within our daily English lessons, but across the curriculum.

Teachers use high quality texts and real life experiences to inspire and teach writing across a range of genres. Writing is well planned with clear sequencing of skills and progression to develop every child’s learning.

Children develop their skills in spelling, handwriting, grammar, vocabulary and punctuation and are taught how to edit and re-draft their writing. Our aim is to nurture every child to be confident and fluent writers.

Progression in Spelling and Grammar (SPaG) grid

Speaking and Listening

We value the importance good speaking and listening skills across the curriculum and give children opportunities to develop these skills through a range of activities including; word games, group and whole class discussions, reciting poetry, debates, drama and role play.

Associate to The Royal Shakespeare Company

We are a Royal Shakespeare Company Associate School, which provides the children with specialist workshops, tours and performances both to watch and to take part in.

RSC Ambassadors – We are children from Year 4 and Year 6 who work with Miss O’Kelly and our local schools to run events, share ideas and improve arts in our schools.

Useful websites

Poetry for fun

https://fizzyfunnyfuzzy.com/

Fun reads and comics

https://continuingstudies.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/

Developing English as a second language and reading comprehension

https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/reading/