Subject Leader: Mrs Hagger

Our vision for English

At Hatch Warren Junior School, we value English as a main subject as well as a medium through which all subjects are taught. We aim to develop a whole school approach to English, which values our rich and varied literary heritage and ensures continuity and progression so that all children achieve the following skills and knowledge:

• Develop a love of reading, enabling them to read fluently and with good understanding for pleasure and information. 

• Develop a love of listening to and responding to stories.

• Can explain their ideas and beliefs articulately.

• Are able to participate in discussions and debates,, demonstrating good speaking and listening skills.

• Can write clearly, accurately and coherently for a variety of purposes and audiences.

• Can spell accurately by applying spelling conventions and experimenting with new vocabulary.

• Understand and apply grammatical conventions in their work.

English is a curriculum subject in its own right as well as the key medium through which the entire curriculum is taught.  At Hatch Warren Junior School, English is taught daily in every classroom and follows the National Curriculum.  English lessons cover the following areas:

• Speaking and listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Spelling
• Punctuation and grammar
• Handwriting.

Speaking and Listening:

Children often work in pairs or small groups to discuss their ideas.  Interaction with others helps them to formulate and develop their ideas as well as extend their social skills.

Reading

In the classroom, reading is taught daily in the form of "guided reading" sessions, where the children are taught specific reading skills and are given the opportunity to apply them to their independent work.  

Children read regularly within the daily English lesson as well as receiving opportunities to read in all curriculum areas.

We value the culture of reading and listening to stories and aim to read to the children daily across the school.  We also encourage children to read a variety of books while in school and the Hatch Warren 100 is a list of 100 books that we suggest children might enjoy reading - details are found below.

Each class has a weekly library slot, which enables all children to regularly visit the school library, where they may borrow two books at any one time. Classes also have a lunchtime slot (on rotation)  when they can change their books.

Phonics

At Hatch Warren Junior School, we use the Read Write Inc phonics scheme.  Further information can be found by following the phonics tab from the Curriculum page.

Writing

Children write in all subjects to record their thoughts and ideas as well as to produce extended pieces of writing.  When writing, children are encouraged to develop their ideas and experiment with language and writing styles.  We really value the content of the writing rather than simply the presentation or technical accuracy.   In order to become a competent writers, children need to be able manipulate all their skills and take control over their writing and ideas.   

During daily English lessons, each year group usually focuses on fiction or non-fiction for a half-term block of time.  This allows the children to develop and embed new skills as well as apply them to similar types of writing.  The English lessons are planned in 2-3 week units and are usually linked to a specific text or set of texts.  Within these lessons, children are encouraged to write daily.  Each unit concludes with a longer piece of writing, which allows the children to demonstrate and apply the skills they have learnt within it. 

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

The children's spelling is assessed at the start of each academic year to identify any specific gaps in spelling knowledge that need to be built into the spelling curriculum.  As a school, we also use the No Nonsense spelling programme to support children's learning, when appropriate.  

Children have one main spelling lesson per week, which focuses on a specific spelling rule. Children are encouraged to investigate spellings to look for rules and patterns that will help them to remember them.  In addition to a weekly spelling lesson, children have 2-3 follow-up lessons where they play spelling games or spelling tasks to help them learn their spellings.  Spelling lists are sent home weekly so that parents can help their children at home.  Spelling tests take place on Tuesdays and are completed in the back of the English Homework book, so that parents can see how their children have tackled their the weekly test.

Punctuation and grammar are taught both discretely through specific grammar lessons as well as forming part of the English units. 

Handwriting is taught formally in Year 3 and then within classes as necessary as children progress through the school.  We teach a joined script to help children writing quickly and legibly.  This can also help some children to learn the spellings.

Please have a look at the English attachments, which show our vision for English, as well the National Curriculum for English upon which our curriculum is based. The National Curriculum document contains a helpful summary of spellings taught as well as a glossary of grammatical language, which may be helpful. There are also summaries of the Hampshire documents, which we use for planning and assessment in reading and writing.