Rationale:
‘Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom”.
George Washington Carver (an African American scientist and educator)
English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach 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. 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.
The National Curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate
Values and Attitudes:
Children have opportunities in English to:
- Consider their own attitudes and values in relation to stories and other reading material and learn to challenge assumptions, stereotypes and prejudice
- Develop respect for their own and others’ work and learn how to offer and receive constructive feedback and praise
- Work with others, listening to and respecting ideas and learning to value different strengths and interests within the group
- Learn to evaluate their writing and reading critically
Aims:
Nutfield Church Primary School ensures that all children are:
- Provided with access to an enriching English curriculum taught through creative planning that shows progression in the development of reading and writing skills and embeds grammar and punctuation in a meaningful way
- Empowered in order to become proficient in speaking clearly and audibly in ways which take account of their listeners
- Encouraged to listen with concentration thus being able to identify the main points of what they have heard and reflect on others’ contributions and the language used
- Given the opportunity to become enthusiastic and reflective readers through contact with quality texts
- Enabled to develop as confident, independent readers through an appropriate focus on word, sentence and text-level knowledge
- Offered the chance to enjoy an active involvement in drama, exploring their ideas and discussing their experience
- Able to implement and enjoy purposeful writing, recognising its value in narrative and non-fiction written forms
- Provided with the skills to use planning, drafting and editing to improve a final piece of writing
Allowed to analyse and make informed critical judgements about their writing and reading using appropriate language.