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Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Curriculum
  3. Subjects
  4. English

Welcome to English

Why do we learn English?
Our approach to reading
Our approach to writing
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
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Phonics

Why do we learn English?

Reading

At Ark Ayrton, our aim is to ensure that all children become highly skilled readers, working at or above the National Standard and also develop a love of reading, so that they become life-long readers. We aim to ensure that children have a balanced reading diet, comprising of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and classics, exposing them to the great literary writers both past and present. Reading is at the heart and soul of our curriculum and books drive and support learning. The rest of the foundation subjects stem from our School book spine and drive the organisation of our curriculum.

Writing

At Ark Ayrton Primary Academy, as books and reading are at the heart of our curriculum, writing is also very much driven by the whole class text studied in reading time. It is our intention to provide children with a high-quality education in English that will teach them to become enthusiastic and confident writers, who can write fluently, communicate their ideas effectively and be able to access and interact with the world around them.

It is also our aim that every child should develop a fluent, legible and personalised style of handwriting by the time they leave the Academy in Year Six. Capital and lower case letters should be formed appropriately and the letter size and shape should be consistent. As an Academy, we fully acknowledge that handwriting is not a natural skill; rather it is a motor activity which needs to be taught explicitly through teacher modelling and children practising. Therefore, we provide opportunities for all children to develop, practise and perfect the skills of handwriting. Alongside this, we also provide targeted support to any child, who has been identified as experiencing difficulties.

we believe a successful primary writer:

  • is passionate about writing, as a craft whereby they can write fluently, communicating their ideas effectively and is able to access and interact with the world around them.
  • develops an awareness of audience, purpose, and format
  • uses an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar
  • practises, uses, and applies cursive handwriting
  • understands that writing is a journey, whereby editing and improving their writing is part of an author’s skillset
  • is provided with the skills to successfully edit and improve their writing, with a large emphasis on the impact of the reader
  • is exposed to writing taught in a cross curricular way, which links to knowledge being taught in other curriculum areas
  • is prepared for the next stage in their education and leaves us being able to write confidently and communicate effectively
  • is supported effectively to write at a high standard, regardless of their individual starting point

Our approach to reading

Assessment of Reading

Tracking children’s the progress through the Reading Curriculum is built around Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which link directly to the National Curriculum expectations. KPIs are based around two dimensions of the National Curriculum – Word Reading and Comprehension. We use a variety of approaches to teach these, for example word reading through daily Whole Class Reading. In order to make an age related judgement of a child, teachers take into account a variety of evidence - Phonic Assessments (if applicable), Headstart Reading assessments, NGRT online reading tests (which produce a reading age), Reading Records, PM Benchmarking assessments (for year 1) and the evidence we have that children have achieved all of their year group KPIs. Teachers track what children can and can’t do against the KPIs, which allow them to target children effectively to narrow gaps. Each year group’s KPIs have key assessment questions for teachers to use, in order to assess a child’s word reading or comprehension ability.

Reading across the Curriculum

At Ark Ayrton, our Horizons curriculum is based around a book and additional whole class reading time in the afternoon drives the topic, science and other curriculum areas. All children are actively encouraged and provided with opportunities to apply their skills of reading to all subject areas. For example, in our weekly PE lessons, children read an article relating to the sport they are going to play. In Science, children read about famous scientists and the discoveries which they have made.

Support for Readers

At Ark Ayrton, we believe that every child regardless of reading ability should have the opportunity to be exposed to different types of texts and authors, otherwise the gap widens and children begin to not see themselves as readers. Therefore, we will never take children out for Reading intervention during Class Reading time in both the mornings and afternoons. We provide additional time for Reading interventions delivered by the class TA at some point during the afternoon. This year, we are implementing a reading intervention called, Bookmark, which support key and identified children who are at risk of not meeting age related expectations by the end of the year in Years One – Three to complete a 6 week online intervention to boost their ability.

Our approach to writing

Impact

The impact of our writing curriculum is measured and assess through children’s independent writing: the knowledge and skills they have retained and can apply. The children will be creative writers with a passion for English.

In order to measure success we:

  • assess each individual piece of independent writing against the teacher assessment framework for each year group to identify successes and children’s next steps
  • assess responses to questioning during every lesson
  • look at the application of previous taught skills in pieces of writing

In addition to our Writing curriculum, we provide enrichment through:

  • trips and visits linked to the children’s learning
  • visitors
  • workshops

Whole Class Writing

As books and reading are at the heart of our curriculum, writing is also very much driven by the whole class text studied in the reading time. It is from this text that the children use as a stimulus for writing. We strongly believe that writing is a journey and every unit begins with a cold write. This is a piece of writing which is used as a pre-assessment, in order for teachers to create lesson plans which will ensure that any gaps in knowledge are targeted. Teachers then skilfully teach children how to be a successful writer, by engaging the reader, throughout a series of lessons. We are fully aware of the importance of children writing independently and therefore children write about something different to the teacher to ensure they take ownership over their writing and ideas. Once the children have crafted their piece of writing, they are provided with the skills of how to successfully edit and improve their creations, with a large emphasis on the impact of their writing on the reader. Writing is taught in a cross curricular approach weekly and actively linked into our thematic curriculum.

Writing area in the Library

As a school, it is imperative to us that children understand the relationship between reading and writing. We cannot have amazing books to read if there is no one to write them!

Handwriting

At Ark Ayrton, we teach children cursive handwriting. Please see our handwriting policy for the progression in joins. In every year group, children have the opportunity to achieve their bronze award, silver award and then finally their gold award in handwriting to receive their pen licence, or pencil licence if they are in EYFS or Year 1.

At Ark Ayrton, we teach the children to master their letter formation by ensuring consistency in shape and size before moving them on to cursive handwriting when they are ready. In Reception, the children are taught ball and stick and then gradually introduced to cursive joins once letter formation is secure and the individual child is ready to progress. Handwriting is taught explicitly in short, frequent sessions, whereby it is modelled by the teacher. In EYFS and KS1, it is linked to phonics, which help children to form ‘muscle memorys’ linking sounds to handwriting. KS2 children practice their handwriting in their class literacy books in order to reinforce the consistent high expectations of their handwriting: KS1 and EYFS practice in their Read, Write Inc books.

Spelling

At Ark Ayrton, spellings from the National Curriculum are explicitly taught and shared on a Friday and tested on the following Friday. These weekly spellings are taught and practised daily for 15 minutes through a series of different activities; word searches, sentence dictation, LCWC (Look Cover Write Check), sentence writing with a word bank and unscramble the words. Spelling homework also goes home on a Friday and is due in on a Friday. Spellings are assessed on a weekly and half termly basis.

Year 1

Reading

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
RWI RWI
Spring 1 Spring 2
RWI RWI
A selection of books by J. Donaldson and J. Kerr
Summer 1 Summer 2
RWI RWI
Now we are six by A. A. Milne

Writing

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Simple sentence writing using colour semantics

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Remembrance
Poetry

Recount

Repetitive narrative

Spring 1 Spring 2

Traditional Tale

Instructions

Poetry

Setting description

Persuasive advert

Summer 1 Summer 2

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Narrative

Poetry

Explanation text

Recount – trip based

All Year 1 subjects Next Year 1 Subject - Science

Year 2

Reading

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

RWI

Remembrance poem - Poppy by Unknown

Spring 1 Spring 2
Flat Stanley – Stanley in Space by J. Brown
Jasper Space Dog by H. Robinson
The BFG by R. Dahl
Summer 1 Summer 2
SATs Revision
Stanley saves the Rainforest by T. Frais
Jungle Book
In the Ning, Nang, Nong by S. Milligan

Writing

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Instructions

Recount

Remembrance Poetry

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Narrative

Spring 1 Spring 2

Diary entry

Travel – persuasive letter

Poetry

Narrative

Formal letter writing

Summer 1 Summer 2

Setting description

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Explanation text

Diary entry

All Year 2 subjects Next Year 2 Subject - Science

Year 3

Reading

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Time Hunters ‘Stone Age Rampage’ by C. Blake Remembrance poem - Equality in Afganistan by E. Poynter
The Whispering Stones by S. Pirotta
Spring 1 Spring 2
Selection Greek Myths Macbeth by W. Shakespeare
Oliver Twist by C. Dickens
Summer 1 Summer 2
Time Hunters ‘Egyptian Curse’ by C. Blake The Time-Travelling Cat and the Egyptian Goddess by J. Jarman
The Owl and the Pussy Cat by E. Lear

Writing

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Narrative

Information text (Guide to the Stone Age)

Remembrance Poetry

Recount - Diary entry (non-fiction)

Informal letter writing

Spring 1 Spring 2

Narrative

Explanation text

Setting description

Narrative

Summer 1 Summer 2

Persuasive leaflet

Narrative

Poetry

Recount/ News report

Instructions

All Year 3 subjects Next Year 3 Subject - Science

Year 4

Reading

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Escape from Rome by C. Lawrence Remembrance poem - Listen by G. Clarke
Romans on the Rampage by J. Strong
Spring 1 Spring 2
Viking Boy by T. Bradman Richard III by W. Shakespeare
Great Expectations by C. Dickens
Summer 1 Summer 2
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White Tom’s Dragon Trouble by T. Bradman
The Tyger by W. Blake

Writing

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Narrative

Informal letter writing

Remembrance Poetry

Narrative – setting description

Persuasive writing

Spring 1 Spring 2

Narrative

Diary entry

Poetry

Character description

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Summer 1 Summer 2

Narrative

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Poetry

News report

Explanation text

All Year 4 subjects Next Year 4 Subject - Science

Year 5

Reading

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
First Blood: ‘Spy Master’ by J. Burchett and S. Volgar Continuing with First Blood: ‘Spy Master’ by J Burchett and S. Volgar
Remembrance poem - In Flanders Fields
Spring 1 Spring 2
Street Child by B. Doherty A Midsummer Night’s Dream by W. Shakespeare
A Tale of Two Cities by C. Dickens
Summer 1 Summer 2
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling Stormbreaker by A. Horowitz
The Highway Man by A. Noyes

Writing

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Narrative

Information text/ Non-chronological report

Remembrance Poetry

Formal letter writing

Biography writing

Spring 1 Spring 2

Diary entry

Explanation text

Poetry

Setting description

News report

Summer 1 Summer 2

Persuasive writing

Narrative

Poetry

Information text/Non-chronological report

Narrative

All Year 5 subjects Next Year 5 Subject - Science

Year 6

Reading

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
The Emergency Zoo by M. Halahmy Goodnight Mister Tom by M. Magorian
Remembrance poem - Dulce et Decorum Est
Spring 1 Spring 2
SATs Revision – test style questions SATs Revision – test style questions
Summer 1 Summer 2
The Boy at the Back of the Classroom by O. Rauf
SATs Revision – test style questions
The Fastest Boy by E. Laird
If by R. Kipling

Writing

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Setting description

Persuasive letter

Remembrance Poetry

Information text/Non-chronological report

Narrative based on Christmas Carol

Spring 1 Spring 2

Narrative 

Diary entry

Poetry

Narrative

Information text - Biography

Summer 1 Summer 2

Science writing

Redrafting and editing

Poetry

Redrafting and editing

All Year 6 subjects Next Year 6 Subject - Science

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author visit

Years 1 & 2 Author visit at Victoria Park

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 visited Victoria Park this week for a book event! Unfortunately, author Nick Sharratt was unwell and not able to attend, but the children were very lucky to have a storyteller from Portsmouth Central Library who read Nick’s book ‘Shark in the Park’. All the children really enjoyed joining in with the story and they finished the event with a picnic lunch before returning to school.

Every child received a FREE, signed copy of Shark in the Park! Thank you to Portsmouth Public Libraries and School Library Service.

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