English
English Vision Statement Liss English Learner
English at LissWe believe that English is a vital part of the school curriculum with reading and phonics at its core. It supports the development of all curriculum areas and ensures the growth of essential learning skills for the future. English comprises reading, writing, speaking and listening. We ensure that our pupils develop a secure understanding of all forms of oral and written literacy.
Speaking and Listening
Our aim is to help children to be articulate, confident speakers who are able to express themselves and discuss their opinions clearly, as well as listening effectively to others. Speaking and listening are planned and taught within discrete English lessons and also within other curriculum areas.
Reading
Reading and phonics are core elements of our curriculum.
We follow the Fisher Family Trust Success for All ('Letters and Sounds' )synthetic phonics programme throughout Foundation Stage and key Stage 1 to teach the children essential phonic skills that are required to successfully read and spell. Phonics is taught in a variety of ways to meet the individual needs of each child, including whole class or group teaching as well as focused interventions. Success for All provide a Parent Guide and a Parent Portal to support reading at home.
Children undertake a Phonics Screening Check in Year One to ensure that they are secure in Phase 5. Phonics continues to be taught in all year groups through reading and spelling activities. Find out more about how we use Success for All here.
Our reading books are organised by phonics level and book bands, we predominantly use FFT Success for All Phonics books, Collins Big Cat and Oxford Reading Tree in the infant school and Project X and Treetops in the junior school. Our children are also encouraged to read books from our school libraries. In class, the children benefit from guided or shared reading and our English units have rich texts as a stimulus.
Writing
Shared and guided writing takes place regularly in classrooms as a whole class and group activities. Children are taught to plan, draft, edit, proof-read and publish their work as part of the writing process. They are also taught the technical aspects of writing including grammar and punctuation throughout the federation. As the children move through the federation, new aspects of grammar and punctuation are introduced and previously taught aspects are revisited and developed.
Spelling rules are taught during spelling lessons and revisited throughout the curriculum. Children are given the opportunity to investigate, practise and apply these rules and to learn the common exception words.
We aim for children to write in a fluent, cursive, joined handwriting style which enables them to communicate meaning through writing quickly and neatly. We use a consistent handwriting font across each school to support the teaching and learning of handwriting. In Year R, fine and gross motor skills are practised through a range of activities and additional support is provided throughout the federation for those children who require it. Children who meet our expectations in terms of presentation and handwriting are awarded a Pen Licence and are provided with a handwriting pen.
Reading with TRUST comic strip
Supporting Reading at Home Booklet 2023 LIS
