OUR LADY IMMACULATE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL LITERACY POLICY Following the example and teachings of Jesus, Our Lady Immaculate School is at the heart of the local community. We strive to create a welcoming, caring and secure learning environment in which every child is cherished and nurtured. The purpose of this English policy is to define the English curriculum. The curriculum incorporates many aspects of the five outcomes set out in Every Child Matters - Stay safe; Be healthy; Enjoy and achieve; Achieve economic wellbeing and Make a positive contribution. It reflects the school's values and philosophy in relation to the teaching and learning of the English language. It sets out a framework within which teaching staff and teaching assistants can operate. It gives guidance on planning, teaching and assessment. The policy should be read in conjunction with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 2014 and National Curriculum 2014, which set out in detail the rationale for teaching each area of English and specifies the skills that will be developed for pupils at Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School. Both the Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2) Literacy Subject leaders, in consultation and discussion with staff, have prepared this document. It has been produced for all teaching staff, teaching assistants, school governors, parents, and for LEA and OFSTED inspectors. Copies are available to school staff and governors. Rationale for the teaching of English Through the study of English we aim to develop the children s abilities to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes in order to use language to communicate ideas, views and feelings effectively. It enables children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers and writers of a wide range of texts. Children begin to appreciate language and literature by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Children use knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking, listening, reading and writing in all areas of the curriculum. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised. Aims At Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School we aim for children to become fully literate, and to develop a lifelong love of the English language, both spoken and written. By the age of 11 we aim for children to be able to speak, listen, read and write with confidence, fluency and understanding. To achieve this aim, children are taught to: speak clearly and audibly, using Standard English where appropriate, in ways which take account of their listeners; listen with concentration in order to be able to identify the main points of what they have heard; adapt their speech to a wide range of circumstances and audiences; reflect on their own and others contributions and language used; evaluate their own and others contributions through a range of drama activities including role play; use a full range of reading cues to monitor their reading and correct their mistakes; become confident, independent readers by developing word, sentence and text level knowledge; become enthusiastic readers through contact with challenging and lengthy texts; understand the sound and spelling system and use this to read and write accurately; develop an interest in words and their meanings; have fluent and legible handwriting; Page 1 of 5
enjoy writing and recognise its value for real life purposes; write with accuracy and meaning in narrative, poetry and non-fiction; plan, draft, edit to improve their writing; learn how to present and publish their work. Teaching and Learning Planning In KS1 and KS2 we are implementing the New National Curriculum 2014 for English which is used as a basis for our long term and medium term plans. In addition, word and sentence level objectives are obtained from Jolly Phonics, Jolly Grammar and Letters and Sounds (KS1) and Spelling and Grammar Appendices from the New Curriculum 2014. Reception children follow the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. We cover Phase 1-4 of Letters and Sounds using resources from the Jolly Phonics scheme to support teaching and learning. For the first half of the Autumn term in Year 1, the children are taught using the EYFS where appropriate to prepare them for the transition into KS1. Termly plans are reviewed by year groups and modified from year to year as necessary. Weekly plans show differentiation and for this purpose, children are generally organised into ability groups within the class. Teaching objectives are shared with the children to make clear the purpose and expectations of the lesson. A wide range of texts, big books, the interactive whiteboard and multimedia resources are used in shared reading and writing. Planning is emailed to the Deputy Headteacher and the Headteacher. All planning can be found on the school server (staff- school- planners). Staff meetings are used to discuss the English curriculum and to ensure consistency of approach, standards and expectations in planning and moderation. Lesson Organisation The New National Curriculum 2014 for English continues to promote the daily teaching of literacy but with greater consideration of how to secure effective application of these skills across other subjects. In regards to the planning for writing, teachers use the 3-2-1 model (3 weeks narrative, 2 weeks non-fiction and 1 week poetry) introduced by the subject leaders to ensure progression and full coverage of genres. The lesson structure should be fit for purpose. Timings of different parts of the lesson should fit the purposes of the intended focus for learning. The controlling factor for lessons is Assessment for Learning, which is based on the teacher s assessment of class learning. In some instances, groups are removed from the classroom so an additional member of staff can work independently with that group. Spelling KS1 follow the Letters and Sounds, Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar spelling programme. Spelling patterns, rather than traditional lists, are taught within class and set homework activities follow the investigative approach, allowing children to develop their skills in applying their knowledge of spelling. In addition, the children learn the list of words found in the Spelling Appendix from the National Curriculum for their year group. Spellings are differentiated with some children following a separate spelling programme set and taught by the Learning Support team. In KS1, weekly dictation activities consolidate the spelling patterns of the week. KS2 uses exclusively words from the New National Curriculum 2014 Spelling Appendix and topic based words. Weekly spelling patterns are explored at home and a range of learned and unseen words are tested the following week. Time is allocated for weekly testing of spellings and rigorous intervention for both key stages. Twice a year, children from years 1 6 complete the NFER single word spelling test, which provides a spelling age. This, alongside teacher judgements, is used to identify any children who may need support from the Learning Support team. Page 2 of 5
Handwriting The children are taught the Kingston cursive script from Reception and is used throughout both Key Stages. (see Appendix 1) Reading The teaching of reading takes a variety of forms Shared reading of texts within the lesson Guided reading in small groups Comprehension exercises Individual reading with a member of staff or parent helpers Assemblies to promote positive attitudes towards reading Daily story time Enjoyment of reading is promoted throughout the school. The children are encouraged to use class libraries and the school library. Class teachers regularly ask the children what kinds of books or authors they d like in their libraries and these are stocked accordingly. A wide range of reading schemes (Oxford Reading Tree, Oxford Literacy Web, Ginn and Jolly Phonics) is used by the children to read at home with parents. In Year 6, this takes the form of a book a term, selected by the teacher for close study at home and in school. There is an extensive range of guided reading books for both key stages and a broad range of class novels for KS2. Reading at Home Reception children have the opportunity to change their books twice a week and in Year 1, this increases to three times a week. From Year 2 upwards, books are changed by teaching assistant four times a week. In Upper KS2, the children are trained to change their own books according to their reading ability. Levels are regularly and carefully assessed to ensure rapid progression. Parents need to sign their child s home reading record before it is changed and they can also make comments about their child s reading where appropriate. In addition, children have the opportunity to take home a school library book. In Upper KS2, they can take two library books which can include a topic-themed book to aid project work. Speaking and Listening The New National Curriculum 2014 places equal emphasis on speaking and listening, reading and writing. Talk is fundamental to children s development and learning and has a central role to play in developing their knowledge and understanding. Most children try out ideas in talk long before they are able to put them down in writing. We believe excellent teaching and modelling of speaking and listening will enhance children s learning and raise standards in all aspects. The objectives for speaking and listening complement the objectives for reading and writing. Writing The final outcome of many of the units of work is writing. In Our Lady Immaculate School, writing continues to have a high status and is often cross-curricular. Where possible, we ensure that writing is done for a purpose. Children experience writing in a variety of forms, both fiction, non-fiction and poetry text types. Writing skills, such as notetaking, planning, drafting and editing are developed throughout the school. Writing is celebrated in a variety of ways, in assemblies, class displays and through writing competitions. Examples of good writing are displayed on the KS1 and KS2 writing boards. Cross-curricular links Page 3 of 5
We encourage cross-curricular links wherever possible in our Literacy planning. In addition, ICT is used to help children apply their developing skills in English in a variety of ways. Younger children use ICT as a source of information and as a way of presenting their completed work effectively. Older children use the Internet when searching for information on a wide range of topics. From Year 1, children use the planning and editing tools in a word processor. KS2 children use word processing to check and draft work. We encourage all children to use ICT as a resource for learning as it can be an excellent stimulus in developing literacy skills. Monitoring and Evaluation The English Subject Leaders monitor medium-term plans to ensure continuity and progression within and between year groups. The English Subject Leaders undertake lesson observations in line with the school's monitoring policy. The children's performance is reviewed each year to highlight areas of strength and to identify points for action. A samples of each child s written work is moderated half termly across the school and each child has a Golden Writing folder which encompasses all they have achieved each year. Assessment and Record keeping Short-term informal assessment takes place during each lesson to inform future planning. It is done in a variety of ways - whole class discussion, evidence from individual children s written work and group work (guided reading and writing). The plenary is often used as a means of assessment. With the continued focus on assessment for learning, teachers are continually modifying their planning in accordance with the children s needs. Children are formally assessed each term to record progress in reading, writing, spelling and grammar. These assessments are used to set the children s individual targets which are shared with parents at parents evening. During the summer term the optional tests are used in years 3, 4 and 5. Year 2 and Year 6 take the required SATs. Year 1 children sit the phonics screening check in the Summer term. In KS1 and the Foundation Stage, in addition to more formal assessments, considerable use is made of informed teacher and teaching assistant observations to arrive at a summative assessment. End of year reports are written for parents on the basis of teacher assessment and/or SAT-type tests. Parents are invited to attend Literacy workshops and meetings to inform them about the requirements of the changing curriculum and of the SATs. Equal Opportunities The school's Equal Opportunity Policy underpins the teaching of English. We aim to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the English curriculum, irrespective of race, home language, gender or ethnicity. We ensure that boys and girls have equal access to reading resources and aim to provide a range of books suitable for both. Work is differentiated to ensure all children achieve their potential. Learning Support / Special Education Needs (SEN) The teaching of SEN pupils is in accordance with the school's Inclusion policy. Children with learning difficulties will be highlighted by the class teacher and/or SEN Co-ordinator/Deputy Senco and provision made for their particular needs. Children with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) may be supported in or out of class as appropriate. Intervention Programmes Page 4 of 5
Early identification of children needing Literacy support takes place in Reception, where a programme (Busy Bees) has been devised for them, beginning after the first half of the Autumn term. In Year 1, a literacy intervention runs from the middle of the Autumn Term until the end of the Summer term. The focus is mainly on securing the children s grasp of phonics skills but includes reading practice and revision and consolidation of early writing skills. This takes place three times weekly. At the end of Year 1 /beginning of Year 2 children whose reading skills are below expectations are screened to identify those who would benefit from the 15 minutes a day Reading Recovery Programme. This takes place throughout Year 2 and sometimes into Year 3. In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, children identified as needing support with spelling follow a spelling programme designed to meet their individual needs. There is also a Reading Recovery Programme, Rapid Reading (linked to I.C.T) for individual children who continue to need more intensive and targeted reading intervention. Appropriate training is given to the learning support assistants or teaching assistants to deliver these programmes. These are managed and monitored by the S.E.N co-ordinator/deputy SENco. English as an Additional Language (EAL) We endeavour to meet the needs of those children who have English as their second language through careful timetabling and the use of appropriate resources. Pupils have support from the EAL teaching assistant either within class or out of class, depending on individual needs. Whilst children learning EAL are supported to access curriculum content, it is essential to maintain a level of cognitive challenge consistent with that of the rest of the class. Teachers try to ensure that EAL learners know and can use the language demanded by the curriculum content for the unit or lesson and this can become an additional objective. The Role of English Subject Leaders The role of English Subject Leaders is: to formulate the English policy to identify areas for development within the School Improvement Plan to provide or organise in-house training in line with local and national developments to advise and support teachers in their planning and delivery of English to assess, monitor and evaluate the English curriculum through class observation and review of assessment data to ensure there are appropriate resources for English to determine and prioritise the literacy budget to report to the governing body. Date agreed Summer 2015 Date to be reviewed January 2016 Policy written and agreed by: Carrie Khayser and Claire Pryce Page 5 of 5