At TVEd, we recognise the importance of English in the curriculum and in our daily lives. We believe pupils should be exposed to a wide range of texts which will enable them to access and learn about the wider world. Through a high-quality English curriculum, we aim to support children in developing skills that will enable them to be lifelong learners and have a profound influence on their progress in school.
Reading is crucial in enabling access in all areas of the curriculum. Children will be given opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding within a broad and balanced curriculum, with opportunities to identify and build on prior knowledge within a sequence of learning. We aim to provide children with the best possible opportunities to become confident, literate and successful members of society with a deep love and understanding of English language and literature.
The aim is that teachers of reading at TVEd have a good knowledge of the curriculum, an understanding of effective pedagogies and provide high quality models as a speaker, reader and writer. We aspire for all teachers to be readers of children’s books and be confident in teaching children to comprehend texts and develop a love of reading.
This framework is designed therefore to support all teaching staff in the consistent delivery of reading across the trust so we build successful readers.
Reading into Writing
Whilst the reading and writing approach stand-alone from each other there may be features in the reading text that can be highlighted to support the quality of writing by providing children with information or some specific features which will be useful to their independent writing. Making these kinds of links must not distract from exploring the text as a quality reading experience or quality writing experience. However, there is an expectation that the reading used will influence the writing and the writing genre should influence the reading comprehension texts and strategies chosen.
At TVEd, we strive to help our children develop into articulate and imaginative communicators, who are well-equipped with the basic skills they need to become life-long learners and have a positive impact on our community and industry at the heart of our area; English learning is key in this. We aim to ensure all of our children develop a genuine love of language and the written word, through a text-based approach; this links closely to the way we teach writing, as the text that we use in reading lessons, where possible, is a similar text to the one that we use in our writing lessons so that children are able to contextualise and apply their learning.
Careful links are made across the curriculum to ensure that children’s English learning is relevant and meaningful: where possible making links between reading and writing but also with the wider curriculum and world. We ensure that children develop an understanding of how texts are used in everyday life and, therefore, how important and useful the skills are that they are learning. Our intentions in reading are for children to:
Our TVEd curriculum is shaped by the ethos ‘We are what we repeatedly do, excellence therefore is not an act but a habit’ which aims to enable all children, regardless of ability, additional needs or levels of disadvantage to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.
We teach the National Curriculum, supported by text spines for a range of purposes. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children regardless of age, phase and stage. We aim to develop children’s ability to comprehend the texts they read and apply this skill in all areas of the curriculum.
Throughout the Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we teach reading through a text-based approach linked to their writing, which allows us to meet the needs of the children that we are teaching – through choosing a text that will engage, inspire and motivate. As well as reading a wide variety of texts, children are given frequent opportunities to develop their writing skills in different genre and forms. Children will experience a balance of fiction, non-fiction and poetry in each term and will revisit text types in subsequent year groups to allow for spaced retrieval and to embed the science of learning and cognitive theory within all that they do.
Across the full Primary age range, the reading framework should be tailored to meet the needs of all pupils relative to age, stage and phase. At Tees Valley Education this incorporates our Formal, Semiformal+ and Semiformal curriculum pathways, teachers should tailor the teaching blocks and framework to suit the needs of the children within these pathways.
By the time they leave our academies, children will:
Children will leave TVEd competent and confident readers who have developed a lifelong passion for reading. They will have been given the opportunity to be exposed to a range of texts and understand the different purposes of reading and the benefits to their lives. By learning to read our children will be able to read to learn!
At TVEd, we recognise the importance of English in the curriculum and in our daily lives. We view effective communication as key to the development of all learners. Through a high-quality English curriculum, we aim to support children in developing the knowledge that will enable them to communicate effectively and creatively. This will have a profound influence on their progress in school as well as equip them to become lifelong learners.
Writing is crucial in the application of knowledge in all areas of the curriculum. Children will be given opportunities to develop their use, knowledge and understanding within a broad and balanced curriculum, with opportunities to identify and build on prior knowledge within a sequence of learning. We aim to provide children with the best possible opportunities to become confident, literate and successful members of society with a deep love and understanding of English language and literature.
The aim is that teachers of writing at TVEd have a good knowledge of the curriculum, an understanding of effective pedagogies and provide high quality models as a speaker, reader and writer. We aspire for all teachers to be readers of children’s books and be confident writers themselves to understand the challenges that children face when writing and can support their development through shared and modelled writing.
Reading into Writing
Whilst the reading and writing approach stand-alone from each other there may be features in the reading text that can be highlighted to support the quality of writing by providing children with information or some specific features which will be useful to their independent writing. Making these kinds of links must not distract from exploring the text as a quality reading experience or quality writing experience. However, there is an expectation that the reading used will influence the writing and the writing genre should influence the reading comprehension texts and strategies chosen.
At TVED, we strive to help our children develop into articulate and imaginative communicators, who are well-equipped with the basic skills they need to become life-long learners and have a positive impact on our community and industry at the heart of our area; English learning is key in this. We aim to ensure all of our children develop a genuine love of language and the written word, through a text-based approach; this links closely to the way we teach reading, as the text that we use in writing lessons, where possible, is a similar text to the one that we use in our Reading Comprehension sessions so that children are able to contextualise and apply their learning.
Careful links are made across the curriculum to ensure that children’s English learning is relevant and meaningful: where possible making links between reading and writing but also with the wider curriculum and world. We ensure that children develop an understanding of how writing is used in everyday life and, therefore, how important and useful the skills are that they are learning. Our intentions in writing are for children to:
Our TVED curriculum is shaped by the ethos ‘We are what we repeatedly do, excellence therefore is not an act but a habit’ which aims to enable all children, regardless of ability, additional needs or levels of disadvantage to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.
We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression document which can be seen below. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children regardless of age, phase and stage. We aim to develop children’s ability to produce well-structured, detailed writing in which the meaning is made clear and which engages the interest of the audience / reader. Particular attention is paid throughout the school to the formal structures of English: grammatical detail, punctuation and spelling. Teachers clearly model writing skills and document the learning journey through visible displays and supported by our curriculum golden thread: vocabulary; guided writing sessions are used to target specific needs of groups and individuals and provide high quality models and expectations for writing. Children have opportunities to write at length, in extended, independent writing sessions at the end of a unit of work – applying their taught skills to an independent piece of writing.
Throughout the Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we teach writing through a text-based approach, which allows us to meet the needs of the children that we are teaching – through choosing a text that will engage, inspire and motivate. As well as reading a wide variety of texts, children are given frequent opportunities to develop their writing skills in different genre and forms. Children will experience a balance of narrative and non-narrative in each term and will revisit text types in subsequent year groups to allow for spaced retrieval and to embed the science of learning and cognitive theory within all that they do.
Across the full Primary age range, the writing framework should be tailored to meet the needs of all pupils relative to age, stage and phase. At Tees Valley Education this incorporates our Formal, Semiformal+ and Semiformal curriculum pathways, teachers should tailor the teaching blocks and framework to suit the needs of the children within these pathways.
Pupils are taught punctuation and grammar skills in both discrete sessions as well as within contextualised grammar sessions within each block of writing, this allows them to learn new and practice existing skills, whilst also embedding these within the writing taking place. Children then apply the grammar and punctuation skills that they have learnt in their extended pieces of writing.
By the time they leave our academies, children will have developed the skills and knowledge necessary to allow them to:
Children will leave TVED competent and confident writers who have not only been immersed in a wide range of genre and forms in both narrative and non-narrative but who know the real world application of the work they are doing. They will have been given the opportunities, experiences and audiences to develop an in depth knowledge of Primary writing and the impact written language can have on the wider world around them.
As a school, we teach synthetic phonics as the initial, and most important, approach to the teaching of reading. Our pupils learn to read and write effectively using the Read Write Inc. (RWI) Phonics Programme which is a systematic programme for the teaching of phonics, reading, spelling and writing. We want all pupils to begin their journey to read with confidence, develop a love of reading and apply their skills competently to writing.
Pupils are taught to work effectively with a partner to explain and consolidate what they are learning. This provides the teacher with opportunities to assess learning and to pick up on difficulties, such as pupils’ poor articulation, or problems with blending or alphabetic code knowledge.
We group pupils homogeneously, according to their progress in reading rather than their writing. This is because it is known that pupils’ progress in writing will lag behind progress in reading, especially for those whose motor skills are less well developed.
In Reception, we emphasise the alphabetic code. The pupils rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent them. Simple mnemonics help them to grasp this quickly. This is especially useful for pupils at risk of making slower progress. This learning is consolidated daily. Pupils have frequent practice in reading high frequency words with irregular spellings (common exception words).
We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words. This is so that, early on, they experience success and gain confidence that they are readers. Re-reading and discussing these books with the teacher supports their increasingly fluent decoding.
Alongside this, teachers regularly read a wide range of stories, poetry and non-fiction to pupils.
Embedding the alphabetic code early on means that pupils quickly learn to write simple words and sentences. We encourage them to compose each sentence aloud until they are confident to write independently. We make sure they write every day.
Pupils write at the level of their spelling knowledge. The quality of the vocabulary they use in their writing reflects the language they have heard in the books the teacher has read to them; they have also discussed what the words mean.
Our aim is for pupils to complete the phonics programme as quickly as possible. The sooner they complete it, the sooner they will be able to choose books to read at their own interest and comprehension level.
During the Autumn and Spring term, children in Nursery spend their RWI time listening to, learning and joining in with carefully chosen stories, rhymes, poems and songs. They then use this to role-play together, develop vocabulary and build sentences orally and make up stories through planned talk experiences. In the summer term, the focus of learning at this stage is to learn the initial letter sounds and introduce oral blending through ‘Fred Talk’ throughout the day. This will progress to letter sound blending and segmenting for writing by the end of Nursery. Children are taught the correct letter formation using the RWI mnemonics and we ensure that children achieve the correct pencil grip. It is our aim that all children leave Nursery are on their way to being able to orally blend and know all initial letter sounds in Set 1.
Reception
Children in Reception are taught daily phonics lessons. For the first four weeks of Reception, children revisit Set 1 sounds and are taught in class groups. After this period, children are individually assessed and grouped homogeneously according to their stage. Children receive daily phonics teaching in these groups using the structured speed sounds lesson plan.
It is our aim that all children leave Reception on track to achieve the expected standard for the Year 1 phonics screening check.
Key Stage 1
Children in Key Stage 1 continue to be taught phonics in small homogeneous groups, depending on their stage not age. They have a daily RWI lessons lasting an hour. This lesson starts with a 10 minute speed sounds lesson which teaches oral blending, new speed sounds and revision of previous speed sounds, oral blending, decoding words, reading common exception words, decoding ‘alien’ (pseudo) words, and spelling. Children then read and comprehend a book which is carefully matched to their phonics knowledge following a 3 day/5 day plan (depending on the stage). The learning in the remaining part of the session includes spelling, grammar, and other writing activities.
Children are assessed at least half termly and those who are at risk of falling behind the programme’s pace and expectations are identified early and support is put in place.
Children in Year 1 complete the phonics screening check at the end of the year.
It is our aim that children in Year 2 complete the RWI programme by end of the Autumn term in Year 2.
Classrooms across the academy display the RWI Speed Sounds chart to support children with their reading and spelling.
Key Stage 2
By the time children complete the transition from KS1 to KS2 we intend that they will have completed the RWI phonics programme. Their phonic development will continue to be explicitly taught through the school’s spelling programme.
Those children who have not reached the expected level by the time they leave KS1 will continue to access the RWI programme and receive additional targeted intervention to ensure they catch up with their peers.
Most children have developed reading skills to enable to access reading for pleasure and reading for learning. We aim to equip all children with the skills to:
We endeavour to involve and train parents/carers in supporting phonics and reading at home through workshops, information sessions, newsletters and online resources. Through the rigorous assessment of pupils through this scheme, we ensure that pupils select appropriate books to take home for reading.
A key element of the Read Write Inc. Programme is consistent whole-school practice. This is underpinned by continued professional development.
Ethos, Vision and Values Pennyman Primary is part of Tees Valley Education, a trust dedicated to creating outstanding academies for local communities. Working with our partner academies within Tees Valley...
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Dave Allan
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DNA PR and Publicity
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Telephone: 01642 221156
Email: emma.chawner@tved.org.uk
Pennyman Primary Academy, Fulbeck Road, Netherfields, Middlesbrough, TS3 0QS.
Phone: 01642 314750
Email: pennyman@tved.org.uk
