English

Each class has an ambassador for every subject. One of these ambassadors is chosen to be the CHPA representative. These pupils are

passionate about the subject they represent, they enjoy learning about their chosen subject and are inspirational in leading and

empowering other pupils to feel the same way.

Our Pupil Subject Ambassadors for English are –

Class 3 – Alfie

Class 4 – Elijah

Class 5 – Emily

Class 6 – Keira

Class 7 – Eryn

Class 8 – Marianne

Class 9 – Summer

Class 10 – Miles

Class 11 – Charlotte

Class 12 –

Class 13 – Freya

Class 14 – Safiya

Freya is the CHPA English Representative.  She said the following about English, ‘I like writing at length and always have done. I like reading books especially ones that get turned into movies. Reading books helps me to have great ideas and creativity in my writing.’

Intent

At Charnock Hall Primary Academy reading is a top priority and is a key driver within our curriculum. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of their primary education, all pupils can read fluently and enjoy reading for pleasure.

We intend to encourage all pupils to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop:

• knowledge of themselves and the diverse world in which they live.
• to establish an appreciation and love of reading.
• to gain knowledge across the curriculum and develop their understanding.

We are committed to providing quality, vocabulary-rich reading material, which immerses and enhances all pupils’ wider knowledge of the spoken and written word, through modern and classic children’s literature, poetry and non-fiction texts.

Impact

Reading after Phonics

Once pupils are confidently reading, typically during mid-Year 2 and they have successfully completed Monster Phonics they move on to accessing the Big Cat Collins books, which ensures all texts are read independently and are accurately matched to pupils’ ability.

• All pupils from Year 2 and above complete a baseline words correct per minute assessment. If pupils are below the 50^th percentile for their year group, staff are able to identify them as requiring support with reading fluency and appropriate next steps are put in place, either through Quality First Wave Teaching or targeted interventions. The progress of these children are then tracked half-termly while all others are tracked termly.
• Books are carefully selected by teachers with the knowledge of how they link to other areas of the curriculum. Once pupils reach Topaz level in the Big Cat Collins books they will continue to practise developing their reading by selecting a reading for pleasure book from their class library which is stocked with age-appropriate books.
• Towards the end of Year 2 and from Year 3 to Year 6, all pupils take part in whole class reading lessons. Each lesson focuses on developing reading fluency and understanding. We want pupils to become expert readers capable of making comparisons between authors and understanding language choices. Our lessons focus primarily on exposing pupils to challenging vocabulary and giving them the background knowledge required. All teachers use the reading lessons to introduce pupils to a range of genres and to teach a range of techniques which enable children to comprehend the meaning of what they read.

Reading for Pleasure

• All pupils will take home a reading for pleasure book to develop a love of reading.
• All classrooms have their own class reading areas that include a diverse range of fiction, non-fiction and topic themed books to enhance and broaden pupils’ reading experiences.
• We have a central library and all classes are provided with weekly time to explore the area. Using money donated by our PTA, this has recently been stocked with a range of high-quality diverse books that are organised by topic area.
• The PTA have also donated money to purchase large, outdoor beanbags, so pupils can use them to read for pleasure outside.
• Each class has a story that is read to them each day during story time. Teachers choose from a variety of books to share a love of reading with their class. The covers of these class stories are then displayed on classroom doors to create discussion points.
• We have weekly reading for pleasure assemblies where pupils from each class recommend books to their peers. We also have an author of the week to expose pupils to a wide range of high quality authors.
• We have a vending machine that is stocked with new and exciting books. Each week a pupil from each class receives a certificate for being our ‘Reader of the Week’. This is to celebrate and develop reading for pleasure. A pupil from each Key Stage is then chosen at random within our Reading for Pleasure assembly and the selected child chooses a book from the vending machine.
• We have established links with our local library and each class visits once per half-term to borrow a book. Our intention is to make links with other libraries in our locality to offer pupils a wider range of libraries to visit.
• We have purchased class sets of books so pupils can be exposed to whole books in their reading lessons alongside extracts of texts.

Impact

The Reading curriculum is evaluated through:

• Termly or half-termly words correct per minute assessments
• Lesson drop-ins of whole-class reading lessons.
• Analysis of termly NTS reading assessments.

As we believe that reading is key to all learning, the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the result of statutory assessments. Pupils have the opportunity to enter the wide and varied world that reading opens up to them. As they develop their own interest in books, a deep love of literature across a range of genres cultures and styles is enhanced.

We aspire that all pupils are fluent, confident and able readers, who can access a range of texts for pleasure and enjoyment, as well as use their reading skills to unlock learning in all areas of the curriculum. We aim for pupils to relate their reading experiences to their own personal development, developing an empathy for characters and making links to their own behaviours.

Whole Class Reading Lessons

Towards the end of Y2 and until the end of Y6 pupils take part in whole class reading lessons. We want pupils to become expert readers capable of making comparisons between authors and understanding language choices. Our lessons focus primarily on exposing pupils to challenging vocabulary and giving them the background knowledge required.  All teachers use the reading lessons to introduce pupils to a range of genres and to teach a range of techniques which enable children to comprehend the meaning of what they read. All pupils have the opportunity to read aloud to the teacher across the reading lessons to develop their accuracy, automaticity and prosody.

Reading Progression Map

CHPA Reading progression Map

We are currently revising our approach to writing and will update our Intent, Implementation and Impact statement and other helpful information to reflect this as soon as possible.

However, at CHPA writing is taught daily across the whole academy. Generally, writing lessons are based upon a high-quality text for a period of time that could range from just a few weeks to a whole term depending on text type, length and year group. As appropriate, this text is the same text that is studied during in the Reading lessons. We passionately believe that reading and writing encourages pupils to make links and become empathetic and ambitious writers. Our long, medium and short term planning – as well as the use of progression maps – ensure that a variety of genres are progressively taught and built upon throughout the year and throughout the academy.

Through the writing process at CHPA, pupils acquire and learn the skills to plan, draft and then refine their written work over time and are encouraged to develop independence in being able to identify their own areas for improvement in all pieces of writing. Within each unit of work, sequenced lessons ensure that prior learning is checked and built upon and that the National Curriculum objectives are taught through a combination of approaches.

Active English is a CHPA wide approach for teaching grammar, writing and punctuation. It is largely aimed at years 1 to 4, but its elements can be used flexibly across all year groups to meet the needs of all pupils. What is important, is that there is a consistent approach, where all teachers and teaching assistants are supported, so that the programme can be implemented CHPA-wide, in a consistent manner. It uses the principles of mnemonics to embed learning in an active and engaging way, which provides pupils with a deeper grasp of language that serves as a foundation for their future.

Active English Information – A Parents Guide

By the end of their time at CHPA, pupils leave with highly developed communication skills that they can take into secondary education and beyond. Success is not only achieved through attainment, but through their engagement with, and enthusiasm for, the many aspects of English encountered throughout their time at the academy.

Upon transition to secondary education, pupils can read fluently and widely, with a thirst for reading a range of genres and text types, including poetry. Pupils appreciate the joy and wonder of reading and are able to express preferences and opinions about the texts that they read. Due to the implementation of our writing curriculum, pupils head into secondary education as confident writers. Through their time at the academy, pupils have developed a familiarity with most genres of writing and have a strong understanding of the need for creativity, the craft of writing, writing for a sustained period of time and the manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.

Through our English curriculum, we ensure that our pupils are well-equipped for life in modern Britain. Through purposeful subject linkage, such as using argument and discussion texts requiring pupils to understand different points of view and debates or through embracing literature from different world faiths and cultures, we aim for our pupils develop an excellent understanding of democracy, the rule of law, responsibility and liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.

Further to this, our English curriculum is also driven by SMSC development and this can be exemplified in the following ways;

• Developing confidence and expertise in language which is an important aspect of individual and social identity enabling pupils to understand and engage with the feelings and values embodied in high quality, fiction, drama, film and television.
• Developing pupils awareness of moral and social issues in fiction, journalism, magazines, radio, television and film
• Helping pupils to understand how language has changed over time, the influences on spoken and written language and social attitudes to the use of language