English

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English teaches pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Pupils are taught to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. Through reading and writing, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development and enables pupils 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.

Writing

The programmes of study for writing at key stages 1 and 2 are :
- transcription (spelling and handwriting)
- composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing).

The teaching at Looe Primary Academy develops pupils’ competence in these two dimensions.

Pupils are taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. These aspects of writing are incorporated into the National Curriculum programmes of study for composition.

Writing down ideas fluently depends on effective transcription: that is, on spelling quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words.

Effective composition involves forming, articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.

At Looe, we use the principles of the storytelling approach for some units especially in the Early Years and Key stage One. The skills and knowledge being taught in each unit are displayed visually for the children on a ‘Learning Journey’ in their books and in the classroom. The mapped skills and knowledge are taken from the National Curriculum and are assessed regularly against the progression of skills exemplified in the Evidence Gathering Grids (Devon Planning and Assessment materials).

Children follow the features of that genre to innovate and invent their own version. Children are exposed to a ‘WOW’ starter and a purposeful end outcome in order to provide motivation to write and real-life experiences. Vocabulary remains a priority focus area to expose children to as much language as possible whether this is through Tier 2 words (ambitious and interesting words) or Tier 3 words (subject-specific language).

Spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting are taught regularly and are also woven through the units of writing. In Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling sessions, we teach the spelling objectives prescribed for each year group. The focus for these sessions is to review, teach, practice and apply taught spelling patterns in a fun and creative way to allow pupils to apply these in their writing.

We encourage children to apply their writing across a range of subjects to understand that writing is an integral part of being a successful citizen. Our English writing units are based on high quality texts that demonstrate the knowledge and skills being taught. Where appropriate, they will also link to our big question in curriculum to allow children to use a range of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary being taught in other subjects.

Phonics

INTENT

At Looe Primary Academy we believe that the high-quality teaching of phonics is fundamental for children to become competent readers and writers. We strive to teach pupils to read effectively and quickly, using the Twinkl Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme (based on Letters and Sounds) which includes; teaching synthetic phonics, sight vocabulary, decoding and encoding words, as well as spelling, and accurate letter formation.

The programme is sequenced across 6 levels which are progressive in knowledge and the application of skills. We passionately believe that teaching pupils to read and write independently, as quickly as possible, is one of the core purposes of a primary school. The ability to read automatically and fluently not only holds the key to rest of the curriculum but also has a huge impact on children’s self-esteem and future life chance.

Using the Twinkl SSP programme we:

Enable children to learn phonics knowledge and skills with the expectation that they will become fluent readers, having secured word building and recognition skills.
Are determined that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities.
Ensure that the pupils are taught high frequency words/common exception/tricky words that do not conform to regular phonic patterns
Ensure that pupils have opportunities to read texts and words that are within their phonic capabilities as early as possible
Encourage the pupils to attempt to spell words for themselves, within the range of their phonic knowledge, by building an individual repertoire and the confidence and strategies to attempt the unfamiliar. Visual aids are used to support the pupils in becoming confident and independent learners.
Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
Support pupils in writing clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
Match the expectations of the English National Curriculum and Early Learning Goal

IMPLEMENTATION:

At Looe Primary Academy, we believe that reading and writing is an essential life skill and we are dedicated to enabling our children to become enthused, engaged and successful lifelong readers and writers. As a school, we show fidelity to the Twinkl programme to ensure that we have a progressive, consistent approach to phonics. As part of this cohesive approach, all staff, pupils and parents work together to use the same terminology and language when talking about Phonics. The Twinkl Phonics Programme offers a coherently planned sequence of lessons that supports the effective teaching of phonics within EYFS, KS1 and, where appropriate, KS2.

Level 1 is delivered through:
• Daily opportunities for children to engage with songs, stories and rhymes.
• Daily adult-led speaking and listening activities.
• Continuous provision indoors and outdoors to support children in Phase 1 independently.
• Opportunities to prepare for Level 2. In order for pupils to form letters correctly, fine motor is of high importance. Pupils who have delays in their fine motor are identified and supported in regular, small group adult-led activities.

Level 2-4: Reception
In Reception, pupils work within Levels 2-4. Here learners are introduced to phonemes/sounds and graphemes/letters systematically. They also learn to develop and apply blending and segmenting skills for reading and writing.
Levels 2-4 are delivered through:
• Daily discrete phonics lessons every day for 20/25 minutes.
• Individual reading with TA and teacher. Assessed by teacher a minimum of every four weeks.
• Weekly guided writing sessions.
• Weekly speech and language and fine motor interventions with TA.
• Phonics sound mats and ‘Learning Together’ sheets for home learning.
•The ‘streaming’ of Phonics groups takes place depending on the needs of the cohort, following regular assessments.

Level 5: Year One
Within Year One, pupils work within Level 5. The coherently planned sequence of lessons within Level 5 allows opportunities for children to apply their phonics knowledge and skills as the prime approach to reading and spelling. It focuses on phonetically decodable two-syllable and three-syllable words and the alternative ways of pronouncing and representing the long vowel phonemes. Furthermore, pupils will develop their ability to attempt to read and spell increasingly complex words.
The Twinkl Phonics Programme intends to not only provide pupils with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding essential for reading and writing, but also, to develop their confidence, resilience and engagement in phonics lessons and a love for reading and writing.
Level 5 is delivered through:
• Daily discrete phonics lessons every day for 25 minutes.
• Additional interventions following regular assessments
• The ‘streaming’ of Phonics groups takes place depending on the needs of the cohort, following regular assessments.
• Guided Reading sessions using books decodable books that match pupils’ abilities.

Level 6:
Year Two By Level 6, pupils explore spelling patterns and grammar while also developing a breadth of knowledge, skills and understanding in the recognition and spelling of common exception words.
Level 6 is delivered through:
• Four spelling lessons a week with the explicit teaching of a rule and opportunities to apply the rule.
• Pre and Post testing.
• Weekly spelling home learning.
• Those children who did not pass the phonics screening will have four phonics interventions a week.
• Those children who did pass the screen but cannot apply the sounds in their spellings also receive Phase 5 spelling interventions

The purpose of Level 6 is to:
develop children’s knowledge of spelling patterns and best-guess grapheme selection;
learn more alternative graphemes for known phonemes;
learn more alternative pronunciations for known graphemes;
introduce the /zh/ phoneme; develop an understanding of the spelling rules for adding suffixes and prefixes;
introduce homophones/near homophones and contractions; learn to spell more common exception words;
develop their understanding of grammar rules; learn effective writing techniques including editing and proofreading and learn more strategies to read and write independently.
By the end of Level 6, children will have had opportunities to:
• read accurately most words of two or more syllables;
• read most words containing common suffixes;
• read most common exception words;
• read most words accurately, in age appropriate books, without overt sounding and blending, and sufficiently fluently to allow them to focus on their understanding rather than on decoding individual words;
• sound out most unfamiliar words accurately, without undue hesitation;
• segment spoken words into phonemes and represent these by graphemes, spelling many of these words correctly and making phonetically plausible attempts at others;
• spell most common exception words correctly.

How are tricky words taught?
We recognise that there are parts of some very common words in the English language that are not phonetically decodable, for example ‘said’ and ‘the’. Due to the frequency and usefulness of these common words, these words are taught as ‘tricky words’ or ‘common exception’ words at the earliest stages. We introduce these words that do not follow the usual phonics rules as it allows pupils to access a greater range of sentences for both reading and writing and to begin to build up a bank of sight vocabulary. These words are introduced first as reading sight vocabulary and then are reintroduced later as spelling words. When introducing and teaching new tricky words for reading and spelling, teachers follow the sequence below, in order to encourage pupils to identify the decodable and non-decodable parts of the word.

Pupils will progress through their phonics journey at different rates, therefore it is important that they work at a level that is appropriate for them. Prior learning needs to be secured before any new learning is introduced. Moving on too quickly, without securing prior learning, will allow knowledge and skills gaps to form and can cause problems later on. Therefore, assessments are used to ensure that all pupils are grouped and placed appropriately. Teachers make these decisions based on formal assessments (Twinkl assessments and Phonics Screening Check resources) and informal observation. Pupils who are making good progress can continue to move on and those who are not making good progress can be given additional support and interventions.

How is Phonics assessed?
Formative assessments ensure that learners have a broad understanding of a range of sounds and phonic concepts. We use assessments to tell us what the pupils can do and know along with the sounds and concepts that need embedding further. Assessments take place regularly to ensure that teachers have a good understanding of the needs of their learners. Progress and next steps are tracked carefully.

How do reading books support the teaching of Phonics?

In order to apply their decoding and comprehension reading skills, it is important that pupils have plenty of opportunities to read texts that are fully decodable at the phonics level they are working within. At Looe Primary pupils take home three reading books each week.

These books are:
Fully Decodable Twinkl ‘Minibooks’ - These minibooks are fully decodable books that match the sounds the child has been learning that week, making them the perfect opportunity for children to apply their newly learnt GPC recognition and decoding skills. These books only contain the sounds and tricky words that the children have been taught, allowing them to read with fluency and confidence. Parents are encouraged to read and reread these books with their children in order to develop automaticity.

Phonics Level Books - These books come from the phonics level in which they are working. They contain a range of sounds and tricky words that the child should know, in addition to some additional sounds that they may not have learn yet. Teachers only move children onto the next set of books if they haven’t learnt the majority of that Phase. These books provide challenge and a range of varied, interesting vocabulary to develop comprehension.

Library Books To help promote an enjoyment and love for reading, each child is able to choose a library book to take home with them each week. This is an ‘enjoy together’ book which can be shared between child and parent. Depending on the age and stage of each pupil and their next step, additional resources may be sent home. For example, in Reception, level 2 and 3 words are often sent home to build up a pupil’s segmenting and blending confidence.

How do we support those finding phonics tricky?

Regular assessment takes place to ensure the early identification of pupils who may need additional support, either through interventions or quality first teaching within daily lessons. We have different structured interventions in place to support children at different stages of their Phonics journey.
We take these steps to support learners:
• Build a clear picture by thinking about what assessments are telling us, in order to identify the barrier to learning. For example, if the pupils reversing the digraphs, are they unable to hear the sounds in order to blend them etc.
• Consider reasons for slower progress by using observations and assessments to identify any SEND opportunities and sharing these with our SENDCo.
• Liaising with other adults (teaching staff and parents) so that everyone is aware of the children’s barriers, next steps and the support they need.
• Making reasonable adjustments within the daily lessons such as being close to a supportive adult, having additional resources and prompts etc.
• Making time for additional input and revisiting specific phonics skills through small group interventions or one to one intervention.
• Practising Phonics skills as regularly as possible throughout the day, for example reading a sound before lining up etc.

How are staff trained to deliver Phonics effectively?
Staff receive regular training to support their understanding of our approach to Phonics, along with strategies for delivery and assessment. Teacher and TAs communicate daily about the needs of the children in their groups and classes. Phonics observations and coaching sessions take place to support the improvement of teaching and learning. CPD is responsive to the needs of the staff.

IMPACT

The percentage of children passing the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 is above national at Looe Primary, however, we continue to strive for better.

Our aim is for all pupils, including the weakest readers, to make sufficient progress to meet or exceed age related expectations and to ensure that pupils are familiar with and enjoy listening to a wide range of stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction books. Through the implementation of our phonics curriculum, we :

Aim to achieve a minimum of 75% of pupils leaving Reception working within Phase 3.
Aspire for 90% of children to pass the Phonics Screening Check.
Aim to ensure at least 90% of those retaking the Phonics Screening Check in Year 2 will achieve a pass.

Reading

We are a reading school. We therefore:

• Promote a love of reading and books at every opportunity. Our displays reflect this and are evident in classrooms and corridors. Our children regularly access the school library and are encouraged to join their local library. Our staff read to children every day – they are advocates for reading.

• Have a rigorous and a consistent approach to phonics. All our staff receive phonics training. We aim to ensure pupils master the phonic code as soon as possible.

• Have a consistent approach for children who fall behind. We assess against the Babcock objectives for Years 1-6 and we ensure children only move up book level when they are ready.

• Have a ‘read it and understand it’ approach in Early Years and KS1. We plan comprehension activities as much as phonics because we understand that children need both skills to be an effective reader.

• Use VIPERS and Reciprocal Reading to promote children’s articulation of the key reading skills apart from phonics.

• Use a rotation timetable between guided sessions with differentiated texts and whole class shared reads with differentiated activities.

• Use a variety of high quality texts and resources.

• Keep detailed records which have comments linked to the skills. We have a consistent approach to reading records/guided reading books. Reading records are used to promote regular reading at home.

• Link our reading explicitly to writing skills this may be through displays, learning journeys and follow up activities which promote writing

• Ensure that after phonics, children choose from a carefully sequenced selection of books to read at their ability

1:2:1 reading: Across the school, children are listened to by a teacher or teaching assistant on a 1:2:1 basis. During this time, the adult listens to the child reading a book band book linked to their ability. Comments about the child’s word reading and comprehension are evidenced on the individual reading record and/ or on the skills based record sheets. These comments are specifically linked to skills and curriculum areas. (The ‘VIPERS’ terms come directly from curriculum and these words are therefore highlighted to help assess the progress a child is making in each year group).

The structure of colour book bands in KS2

When a child is assessed as being, for example, at the level of brown for Year 3, they will read books from the trolley, labelled ‘brown’. If they finish reading these, they can choose from the ‘Brown plus’ basket in their classroom. The same applies for Grey (Year 4), Dark Blue (Year 5) and Dark Red (Year 6). These books have been chosen because they are on Pie Corbett’s recommended ‘Reading Spine’ for each year group, or are books recognised as ‘high quality reads’ by The Book Trust and Books for Topics. They are a varied range of genres which also build vocabulary that can be applied in writing. The children may take these books home in addition to their library book. In addition to either bringing home a phonics phase book, or a coloured book band book, children will also bring home a library book that they have chosen for pleasure.

What do we mean by ‘Guided Reading’?

The children are grouped by their book band / ability. The teacher / adult uses the children’s individual assessments to help them to progress with both decoding and comprehension. Texts are therefore differentiated and allow the children to access a book / extract at the appropriate level. Whilst the adult/s work with a small, differentiated group, the other groups in the class will be working independently on reading based activities. Throughout the year, teachers will use a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Teachers use a variety of resources and texts such as the Nelson comprehension work books, guided reading sets and texts that hold a particular interest to the children. Where possible, the chosen texts may link to the current topic. Test based questions are also used at points throughout the year for assessment purposes and to familiarise children with test layouts, language and techniques.

What is ‘Shared Text / Whole Class Reading?’ This is sometimes referred to as ‘Shared Book’ lessons or ‘Shared Text’ and enables children of all abilities to access a high quality text for enjoyment and comprehension activities together. Lesson objectives and success criteria will be used, in the same was as they are for a writing lesson. The questions will be differentiated, but the text will be shared so that all children can answer questions about it at their own level. The skills will often be based on ‘VIPERS’. These lessons may be based on:

• The class novel.

• An extract of interest for the children arising from their curriculum study.

• A visual text such as a film from Literacy Shed or a picture a topic related text

• A book that mirrors the genre being looked at in the writing Learning Journey to deepen knowledge and understanding as well as broadening vocabulary.

• At some points in the term: A section of a test paper that can be worked through together afterwards.

Research shows that it is the combination of Guided Reading sessions, together with Shared Text/ whole class reading lessons that has the highest impact in terms of a child’s progress in reading.