Goosewell School - Using Everyone's Talents. Statutory No. Issue Date March Staff /Governor Reviewer. Next review Date March 2019

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1 Goosewell School - Using Everyone's Talents Policy Number C10 Policy Name Literacy Related Policies Statutory No Issue Date March 2016 Review cycle 3 years Staff /Governor Reviewer BN / LC Next review Date March 2019 Signed... Head Teacher... Chair of Governors Head Teacher, Mr J Stephens, Goosewell School, Goosewell Road, Plymstock, Plymouth, PL9 9HD

2 Goosewell Primary School Literacy Policy This policy aims to ensure consistency across the school in terms of the teaching and learning of Literacy. This policy will help us achieve the following school s aims: Support everyone to have high expectations of ourselves and take responsibility for our learning and behaviour- always trying to do our best. Develop creative thinkers and independent learners. Identify and develop a range of life skills and interests. Encourage risk taking without fear of failure. Learn using a wide and interesting variety of opportunities both within and beyond the school. Encourage parents/carers to continue to actively support their child s learning. The English Curriculum is delivered using the 2014 Primary National Curriculum. In Foundation Stage, the Early Learning Goals are followed to ensure continuity and progression from the EYFS through to the National Curriculum. Within all of our Literacy planning, we seek to provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of each child. Wherever possible, Teaching Assistants work in classrooms during Literacy sessions, supporting all ability groups, specific individuals or groups of children. All staff have high expectations that every child at Goosewell can achieve their full potential in English. The children use relevant aspects of Computing in Literacy lessons where it enhances their learning. Wherever possible, we encourage the children to use and apply their Literacy learning in other areas of the curriculum. Agreed procedures: Speaking and Listening Speaking and Listening will sometimes be taught discretely, but more often, it is taught within other areas of the curriculum. Children learn to speak clearly, thinking about the needs of their listeners. Pupils are encouraged to be thoughtful and understanding listeners. They use language to explore their own experiences and imaginary worlds. They work in pairs, small groups and as a class, joining in discussions and making relevant points. They also learn how to listen carefully to what other people are saying, so they can remember the main points. They learn to use language in imaginative ways and express their ideas and feelings when working in role and drama activities, circle times and class or school productions.

3 Talk for Writing activities are planned within the Literacy teaching sequence including opportunities for drama/role play. Reading Children will read to and be read to by teachers, other adults or each other during literacy sessions and at many others times during the school day. Shared reading of a range of genres is planned within the teaching sequence. Regular guided reading is planned using the Programmes of Study within the National Curriculum. Reading for enjoyment and learning is encouraged by regular opportunities for independent reading and access to libraries which offer a wide range of reading materials. All classes aim to visit the local library at least one a year. Three times a year, a school based reading event is planned such as an author visit, Sibling Reading or paired year group reading. Three times a year, a family reading event is organised to promote reading for pleasure. The target audience varies for example; Dads and Lads, One to One Reading Parents etc. Regular opportunities are provided to listen to a story / class novel. Key Stage 2 classes display the title and author of the current class text on their classroom door. Weekly Reading Stops are provided from Year 1 to Year 6 for children to come in at lunchtime and read independently for pleasure. There is a weekly lunchtime reading club for Key Stage 1 children where books are shared within a chosen theme. 1:1 Reading Club provides additional opportunities for reading for an identified group of children in all year groups. Writing Reading at home is encouraged from FS Y6 with every child being given a reading record. Initially the children follow the Oxford Reading Tree scheme, then a wider range of books as they move from learning to read to reading to learn. Children are encouraged to write for themselves from the very beginning as emergent writers. Units of learning are planned following the objectives within the National Curriculum. Writing outcomes are developed from a stimulus such as a theme, an author, a specific text or a cross-curricular link. Within these units, children will experience whole class shared/modelled reading and writing and extended writing time. Our children are actively involved in compiling the success criteria for each written outcome. Children are taught how to self and peer assess their writing, using ability appropriate strategies. Children are taught how to edit and improve the effectiveness of their writing by proof-reading for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

4 Marking comments should make children aware of their next steps and where appropriate, provide a gap task for the children to complete before their next piece of writing. Once a term, the children complete a Big Write task, which covers different genres and allows children to revisit writing objectives. This is marked using 2 stars and a wish, which the children are encouraged to look back at prior to the next Big Write. The silent writing session may take place in a class with dimmed lighting, candles and classical music playing very softly. These focus the children and allow them a calm atmosphere to enjoy writing. Children are taught skills in VCOP (Vocabulary, Conjunctions, Openers, Punctuation). Written work is valued through sharing it with both adults and peers and through displays, book making and the celebrating of success in family assemblies. Punctuation and Grammar: Across the school, discrete SPaG sessions are taught using the objectives in the National Curriculum. The weekly expectations for each year group are; Year 1-5 x 15 minutes Phonics/Spelling with 2 x SPaG sessions in the summer term. Year 2-4 x SPaG / Guided Reading Carousel. KS2: - at least 3 hourly sessions a week, some included within Literacy lessons. Phonics Foundation Stage Children are taught the skills set out in the Letters and Sounds programme. On entry to school, Phase 1 is revised through tools such as sound walks, games on interactive websites and ideas gathered from the Letters and Sounds programme. Jolly Phonics is used as a way to introduce Phase 2 and Phase 3 phonemes. All children are exposed to Phase 1,2,3 and 4 words by the end of Foundation Stage. In Foundation Stage, parents are provided with information at the start of the school year, as well as a selection of phonics resources to support learning at home. They are informed of the graphemes/phonemes being explored each week. Children are also given key words to practise at home Year 1 Children are taught the skills set out in the Letters and Sounds programme as well as following the objectives and spelling rules laid out in Appendix 1 of the English Curriculum Children are screened in October using a mock National Screening Check. The children are then grouped by their phonological knowledge revealed by such tests. Groups range from Phase 2 to Phase 5. Jolly Phonics is used to support children working at Phase 2 and Phase 3. The children are screened and regrouped three times throughout the school year. In Year 1 as Term 2 begins, parents are invited to attend a phonics workshop. All parents are given a pack with information on how to support their child's learning through the phonic phases. Letters are sent out in Term 6 to encourage parents to support their child prior to the phonics screen. Spelling See Appendix 1 which explains in detail how spelling is taught and assessed from EYFS to Year 6. Handwriting In Foundation Stage, handwriting is taught through a multi-sensory approach alongside a weekly formal activity which is recorded in a book.

5 From Year 1, children are introduced to using Cursive handwriting. It is expected that this style will follow the children through their school journey. The rest of the school will continue to follow the Nelson Handwriting Scheme until the current Year 2 children have moved up through the school. The Nelson handwriting font is loaded on all school computers. All members of staff have high expectations of the children s handwriting. Assessment for Learning Daily marking provides the children with effective feedback about what they have achieved and what they need to do next. Six times a year, each child completes a Rising Stars Assesssment test for both SPaG and reading. The data is collated on an Excel spreadsheet which teachers then analyse to celebrate success and to inform future planning. Attainment in reading, writing and SPaG are recorded on Pupil Tracker in Terms 2, 4 and 6. Teachers assess children s reading, writing and SPaG in a variety of contexts (both formal and informal) continuously and record judgements using the Objective Analysis Tool (OAT) on School Pupil Tracker. Children, who are not achieving age related expectations in reading, writing and SPaG, are identified using Pupil Tracker and interventions are put in place. The interventions may be led by a teacher or a highly skilled Teaching Assistant. Monitoring of the Teaching and Learning within Literacy It is the responsibility of the Literacy subject leaders to monitor the standards of children s work and the quality of teaching in Literacy in conjunction with the Senior Leadership team. This is achieved through lesson observations, regular Book Looks, talking to children, looking at teachers planning, assessments and evaluations and analysing the data entered onto Pupil Tracker. Through the monitoring of Literacy, the subject leaders are able to identify members of staff who may benefit from some focussed support (e.g. supporting SCITT trainees or NQTs etc) or any issues for the whole school which could be addressed through INSET or that many need to form part of the SDP, during the next academic year. Where appropriate, we seek guidance from the Local Authority. The Literacy subject leaders are responsible for supporting colleagues in the teaching of Literacy. They ensure that they are informed about current developments in the subject and provide a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. This policy is also linked with; Library policy. Marking and Presentation policy. Assessment policy. Inclusion policy. The Literacy policy is to be monitored by the Literacy Team through observations and the moderation of planning and learning.

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