Shield Road Primary School
English & Oracy
English at Shield Road Primary develops our children's ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes including the communication of their ideas, views and feelings. Children become empowered to interpret the world around them and to make sense of their experiences; from this perspective English is a tool for both our thinking and learning.
Throughout our English lessons children are able to express themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry, non-fiction and drama.
OUR POLICY
English Intent
Shield Road Primary School is an inclusive learning community where we know and understand our children. We have listened to our children’s voices, and we have created a curriculum that develops our children’s love of reading, writing and discussion. We provide our children with rich and varied learning opportunities that help them to become confident, engaged and enthusiastic learners. The children of Shield Road take pride in their writing and can write clearly, accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. Through our English Curriculum we want to inspire our children to be confident in speaking and listening and have a positive attitude towards communication whilst teaching them how important their reading and writing skills will be in the real world. As we aspire to develop responsible citizens who value themselves and others, we believe that a strong and secure basis in English skills is crucial.
Implementation
At Shield Road Primary School we want all of our children to be capable readers, writers, spellers and speakers who can transfer their English skills to all other areas of the curriculum. Our English lessons develop children’s spoken language, reading, writing, grammar, spelling and vocabulary. We immerse children in good quality texts and provide a range of activities including the use of film and imagery, music, ICT, modelled, shared and guided reading, peer-assessment and discussion. We provide varied and exciting opportunities for writing for purpose and we encourage children to see themselves as authors and poets. We carefully choose the quality texts and resources we use in our lessons so that we can plan for purposeful opportunities to teach cross-curricular lessons and discuss important aspects of British values, mental health and well-being and citizenship. We teach our pupils to speak clearly, to convey their ideas fluently and confidently and to ask questions. We know the value of excellent vocabulary and this is developed and practised across our curriculum, in school assemblies and on displays around the school.
At Shield Road Primary School we want to create a community of life-long readers. We encourage our children to read for pleasure and to read widely through our reading scheme. We use our school library for research through the reading of non-fiction books. Phonological awareness helps the development of reading by segmenting and blending sounds and the children are heard reading regularly, both individually and in groups. We use Unlocking Letters and Sounds for our phonics programme. Our guided reading sessions cover a wide variety of reading skills which help to advance children’s fluency, prosody and comprehension skills. Parents are given reading guidance and clear expectations about reading at home. Ultimately, we are striving to ensure that children leave our school as passionate, fluent and confident readers.
We develop writing skills so that our children have the stamina and ability to write at the age expected standard. We promote the importance of written work by providing a writing purpose and opportunities for children’s writing to be read aloud and listened to by an audience. Handwriting sessions are regularly incorporated into English lessons.
In EYFS writing resources are available throughout the learning environment. Mark making and writing is encouraged alongside all independent learning activities. Adult led writing sessions develop “Talk for Writing” skills. We use a range of quality texts which includes traditional tales, contemporary stories and nonfiction books.
In Key Stage 1, Writing lessons use a high-quality text as a stimulus alongside the storytelling approach for the teaching and learning of writing. This approach centres on the children learning a high-quality text off by heart, allowing them to experience a wide range of language and embed their understanding of the structure of a story. The children use a story map with pictures, alongside actions to aid them in the re-telling of the story.
In Key Stage 2, Writing lessons centre on a high quality text with strong links to an area of the curriculum such as Science, History, Geography or Maths. Teachers create success criteria with the children, alongside high-quality models of writing (WAGOLL: what a good one looks like) to provide them with visual prompts within the classroom. Non-fiction and Fiction text types are covered throughout KS2, ensuring that children are able to write for real purpose.
We have developed a range of extra activities which are used to promote English within the school including World Book Day, author visits and activities, book fairs and reading competitions.
Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum for English 2014.
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.
- Phonics: Children will be taught synthetic phonics using Unlocking Letters & Sounds daily.
- Spoken Language: Develop children's abilities to use and understand language effectively as speakers, listeners and writers.
- Reading: All children will be encouraged to read daily and will be taught reading skills and strategies through Guided Reading sessions.
- Writing: Writing skills are taught within the English lesson with teachers clearly modelling the intended outcome. Opportunities are planned across the Curriculum for children to practise and embed these skills.
- SPAG: Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar is taught daily.
- Vocabulary: We create a vocabulary rich environment in all lessons, giving children a toolkit of resources.
- Oracy: children are encouraged to develop their oracy skills throughout the whole curriculum.
Impact
As a result we have a community of enthusiastic speakers, readers, writers and poets who enjoy showcasing their developing English knowledge and skills. They are confident to take risks in their reading and writing, and love to discuss and share their ideas.
Shield Road English Text Choices 23-24
Shield Road Reading Progression
Oracy Intent
At Shield Road, we thrive to empower all children to use their voice for success in school and in life. We aim to improve the verbal communication skills of all pupils and inspire them to be confident and expressive public speakers.
Implementation
Oracy is at the heart of our curriculum as we recognise the importance of spoken language in the development of the whole child. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing. The skills of speaking and listening are explicitly taught, and children are given a wide range of opportunities to practise these skills and develop confidence and competence.
We follow the voice 21 framework to ensure our children are taught explicit oracy skills:
The children are given many opportunities to apply these skills throughout their school day by talking about their learning, developing ideas and understanding through discussions, asking questions, being able to listen carefully to others’ views and giving them time to respond, sometimes challenging others’ viewpoints, negotiating with others in group work and considering a range of viewpoints.
- We use discussion roles and a variety of talking protocols to aid discussion in lessons.
- Relevant vocabulary is explicitly taught throughout the curriculum, understanding a wide range of words and how to use them in context helps our children to articulate and explain what they think, giving them a voice. It also allows them to unlock meaning, allowing them to understand new information and ideas.
- Talk for Writing is often used throughout the school in order to embed key vocabulary and sentence structure.
- Spoken language is also developed through drama activities as children improvise, refine and rehearse scripts and learn to present these to an audience – for example – in their class assemblies or school productions. Rehearsing ideas through role play and spoken language enables children to explore different genres, identify with characters and develop vocabulary: teachers often use this approach as preparation to improve the quality of written work.
- We provide the children with weekly oracy assemblies to share and develop their oracy skills.
- We use our oracy skills with a variety of people to ensure we change our performance skills to match the audience.
Impact in Oracy
Our children will
- be able to express themselves clearly, communicate with others effectively through spoken language and have the ability to structure their thoughts so that they make sense to others.
- understand and be able to use a wide range of vocabulary that can be used it in different contexts.
- think carefully about the language they’re using, and tailor it to their subject, purpose and audience.
- be able to listen to others and respond appropriately, be able to articulate their point of view, build on others’ ideas and change their minds when appropriate.
- understand that we can all have different opinions and show empathy towards others.
- learn lines and perform in class assemblies and Key Stage plays.
- read expressively in whole class guided reading sessions, and know how to use their voice to express emotion.
- be able to recite poetry, songs and nursery rhymes by heart and with expression.
Shield Road Fiction Writing Overview
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Shield Road Non-Fiction Writing Overview
Shield Road Spelling and Grammar Progressions
Shield Road Primary School follows spelling and grammar progressions by year group which are linked to the National Curriculum. Please contact the school office if you would like a copy for your child's year group.
READING INITIATIVES
September 2023: Our brand new library opening celebration.
September 2023: Andy Seed, author workshops.
July 2023: Summer Reading Challenge assembly
June 2023: Author and illustrator Robert Starling workshop at Filton Library for Reception
June 2023: Stephen Pass on-line author visit in Y3 and Y4
March 2023: Scholastic Book Fair
March 2023: Sarah Oliver, whole school virtual author visit.
March 2023: World Book Day activities including 'Book at Bedtime.'
January 2023: Ruth Drury, author visit to EYFS and KS1.
November 2022: Y6 on-line workshop with author Andy Seed and visit to Filton Library in conjunction with the South Gloucestershire initiative 'My library card.'
September 2022: Louie Stowell on-line workshop, Joseph Coelho/Rose Robbins on-line workshop.
March 2022: Tom Huddleston, author visit. World Book Day.
January 2022: Kate Poels, poet, on-line visit. Axel Scheffler, illustrator and author on-line workshop.
November 2021: .Jen Carney author visit.
October 2021: National Poetry Day: all classes read poems and wrote their own poems.
Term 1 2021: Launch of the 'Bookmark' initiative in Y4.
March 2021: Launch of our virtual library which contains PSHE books and can be found on our website.
March 2021: Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 lockdown, our usual plethora of activities were curtailed, however we did have an on-line book fair, daily reading sessions via Zoom and we also encouraged our children to be photographed enjoying their favourite book. These photographs are now on display in the school hall.
February 2021: We have bought new reading books for EYFS and KS1 which match our phonics scheme. We have also matched our existing books with our phonics scheme to ensure that all children now have access to fully decodable reading books matched to their reading ability and their knowledge of phonics.
November 2020: Scholastic on-line Book Fair
March 2020: As part of our World Book Day celebrations we held a competition for the best book review.
March 4th 2020 we had visiting author Amy Patricia Meade running workshops in every class in conjunction with World Book Day 2020. Mrs Meade helped us to plan our own stories using a 'jigsaw' approach where we investigated characters, setting, problems and resolution which are the four main parts of writing a brilliant story. All children were engaged with the activities and produced some very exciting work. We have many budding authors at Shield Road!
November 4th 2019 saw visiting author, C.S. Clifford spending the day at Shield Road working with the children in KS2.
After asking him lots of questions about being an author, the children in Y3/4 attended a workshop focusing on creating exciting sentences and then editing them to make them even better!. The children in Y5 and Y6 learned how to write a good suspense story.
November 2019: We held a sponsored book read which was extremely successful. We raised lots of money for the school to purchase much needed non-fiction topic books which have been distributed to every class to be used by the children.
September 2019: We held a virtual book fair which provided parents with an opportunity to purchase reasonably priced books for their children whilst raising funds for the school to purchase books for every class.
2022/23 Summer Term 5 Class Books
Year 6: Non-fiction writing relating to the circulatory system
Year 5: There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom - Louis Sachar
Year 4: The Lost Thing - Shaun Tan
Year 3: Voices in the Park - Anthony Browne
Year 2: Leaf - Sandra Dieckmann
Year 1: Dougal's Deep Sea Diary - Simon Bartram
EYFS: The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
2022/23 Spring Term 4 Class Books
Year 6: Treason - Berlie Doherty
Year 5: The Highway Man - Alfred Noyes
Year 4: The Story of Tutankhamun - Patricia Cleveland-Peck
Year 3: Romans on the Rampage - Jeremy Strong
Year 2: How the Rabbit Stole the Fire - Joanna Troughton
Year 1: The Lost Property Office - Emily Rand
EYFS: The Naughty Bus - Jan Oke
2022/23 Spring Term 3 Class Books
Year 6: Alma (Based on a short film)
Year 5: Shackelton's Jouney - William Grill
Year 4: Wolves in the Wall - Neil Gaiman
Year 3: Miu and The Pharaoh - Sally Wallace-Jones
Year 2: Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure - Kristina Stephenson
Year 1: The Way Back Home - Oliver Jeffers
EYFS: Whatever Next - Jill Murphy
2022/23 Autumn Term 2 Class Books
Year 6: Holes - Louis Sachar
Year 5: A Christmas Carol - Chrales Dickens
Year 4: Beowulf
Year 3: The Iron Man - Ted Hughes/ The Crayon's Christmas - Drew Daywalt
Year 2: Lila and the Secret of Rain - David Conway
Year 1: Mrs Armitage on Wheels - Quentin Blake, Stickman - Julia Donaldson
EYFS: Supertato - Sue Hendra
2022/23 Autumn Term 1 Class Books
Year 6: Who Let the Gods Out - Maz Evans
Year 5: Way Home - Libby Hathorn
Year 4: Leo and the Gorgon's Curse - Joe Todd Stanton
Year 3: Stone Age Boy - Satoshi Kitamura, Stone Girl, Bone Girl - Laurence Anholt
Year 2: Lost & Found - Oliver Jeffers
Year 1: Emma Jane's Aeroplane - Katie Haworth
EYFS: Elmer - David McKee, Martha Maps It Out - Leigh Hodgkinson.
