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St Oswald’s Catholic Junior School
L.Hindley February 2015 Page 1
St Oswald’s English Policy
Rationale
The National Curriculum (2014) clearly states that teaching the English language is an
essential, if not the most essential role of a primary school.
At St Oswald’s we recognise that without effective communication, little achievement can be
made. We know that we have a duty to ensure that English teaching is a priority and we
recognise that this is necessarily cross-curricular and a constant through-out school life and
beyond. It is part of the ‘essential knowledge’ (P.6 National Curriculum) that is needed in
society:
‘Teachers should develop pupil’s spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral
aspects of the teaching of every subject. English is both a subject in its own right and the
medium for teaching; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole
curriculum. Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all
subjects.’ (P.10 National Curriculum)
This policy reflects the school’s values, philosophy and mission statement in relation to the
teaching and learning of the English Language. It outlines our approach to the development of
language in communication (speaking and listening) reading and writing.
We aim to develop the abilities of all children in our school to communicate their ideas
effectively in speech and writing. We also believe that by developing the reading and listening
skills in our pupils they will become effective communicators. Children are enabled to express
themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of
stories, poetry and drama, as well as of non-fiction and media texts. They gain an
understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins.
Children use their knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking and writing across a range
of different situations.
Aims To provide a language rich environment that promotes a culture of communication, reading and
writing;
To develop in pupils an interest in and a love of books and literature that will not only support
their learning across the curriculum but also enrich their lives;
To develop the ability to read easily, fluently and with good understanding;
To develop a strong command of the written and spoken word in order to communicate and
respond effectively;
To teach children the craft of writing, including handwriting, in order to develop in children the
confidence and skills to write well for a range of purposes and audience;
To improve the planning, drafting and editing of their written work;
To teach the basics – spelling, handwriting, grammar and punctuation – to ensure accuracy
within creativity;
To teach children effective communication, both verbal and non-verbal, through a variety of
drama activities, including the communication of their ideas, views and feelings;
To encourage children to listen with concentration, in order to identify the main points of what
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they have heard;
To foster in pupils the confidence, desire and ability to express their views and opinions both
orally and in writing;
Primary English Curriculum The new English programme of study (2014) is based on 4 areas:
Spoken language
Reading
Writing
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and glossary The new National Curriculum is divided into 3 Key stages: Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2
(Years 3 and 4) and Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6).
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters,
skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
The new National curriculum 2014, gives detailed guidance of what should be taught at each
Key stage under the following headings.
Spoken language
Reading ‐ Word reading Comprehension
Writing – transcription, spelling, Handwriting and presentation
Composition
Grammar and punctuation
Speaking and Listening The National Curriculum states that pupils should be ‘taught to speak clearly and convey
ideas confidently in Standard English’ (p10) they should:
Justify ideas with reasons
Ask questions to check understanding
Develop vocabulary and build knowledge
Negotiate
Evaluate and build on the ideas of others
Select the appropriate register for effective communication
Give well-structured descriptions and explanations
Speculate, hypothesise and explore ideas
Organise their ideas prior to writing
Our aims
We encourage our pupils to speak clearly and confidently and articulate their views and
opinions. We teach that children need to express themselves orally in an appropriate
way, matching their style and response to audience and purpose. Children learn how to
listen and respond to literature, giving and receiving instructions. They develop the
skills of participating effectively in group discussions.
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Modelling appropriate and expressive speech is an integral part of our teaching. All
adults working in the school are expected to use Standard English throughout the day
and to expect the same from the pupils. Teachers are expected to plan lessons, including
the objectives from the four key areas of speaking, listening, group interaction and
drama. Where possible the objectives will be included across the curriculum thus
creating a wide variety of opportunities to reinforce and develop these skills.
Ways in which we support this include:
Activities which are planned to encourage full and active participation by all children, irrespective of ability
Children with specific speech and language and auditory problems will be identified and specialist help sought, where appropriate
Poetry recital
School Plays
Class debates
Class assembly
Events within the community
School Council/Reading Advocates
Talking Partners
Book talk sessions
Drama / role play
PSHE and circle time
At St Oswald’s we believe that speaking and listening skills are an intrinsic part of the writing
process. A child needs to be able to say a sentence before they can write it. Children use talking
partners to articulate their ideas and make focused oral responses and questions during learning
times.
Drama
Drama forms an integral part of literacy lessons for every class and is incorporated into the
planning of units. This may be on a weekly basis or less frequently according to the unit of
work. Drama activities can take place effectively within a classroom space or in the outside
classroom on the stages.
Reading
‘The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more
places you’ll go’
Dr. Seuss
The National Curriculum (2014) states that pupils should be taught to read fluently,
understand extended prose and be encouraged to read for pleasure. Reading is singled out as of
extreme importance since through it ‘pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally,
intellectually, socially and spiritually’ (P.13) Reading allows pupils to ‘acquire knowledge’ and
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to ‘build on what they already know’ (P.13).
Schools are expected to have library facilities and support and encourage reading at home.
The 2014 Curriculum divides reading skills into two dimensions:
• Word reading/ decoding
• Comprehension
We recognise that both these elements are essential to success and we support
the acquisition of both sets of skills through various methods. We recognise that these
areas are clearly linked to the other aspects of English learning: speaking and listening,
writing, grammar and vocabulary. We also understand that reading is a developmental
process and part of life-long learning and we encourage and praise children at every
stage of it.
‘To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.’
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
Reading for Enjoyment
‘There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.’
Walt Disney
At St Oswald’s we recognise that reading is a core tool for life and we aim to foster a love for
reading in our children. We have identified the need for children to be heard reading and to be
read to on a daily basis and throughout the curriculum. Children will be heard read individually
and during guided reading sessions All adults in school model positive attitudes to reading and, in doing so, encourage the children to do the same.
The school has recently achieved gold in the Liverpool Reading Charter Mark Awards.
The Reading Advocate provides strong leadership for reading development across the Junior
school. She demonstrates passion for and commitment to the importance of reading for
pleasure for the all stakeholders in the school. The Head and the Deputy are fully supportive of
the Literacy coordinator and reading is at centre of everything the school does. This is
evidenced not only in end of Key Stage results and other tests but throughout the school
environment. Consistent approaches to the teaching of reading and reading for pleasure are
evident in all classrooms and the curriculum. Governors are fully supportive of the work that
the literacy coordinator leads and are very well informed. Governors also participate in many
of the reading events which take place as part of the school calendar. Increased subject
leadership time has been given to support ongoing CPD.
Staff are confident about teaching reading and about reading for pleasure within the curriculum
and for recreation. The Reading for Pleasure policy is well embedded in practice across the
school, supported by relevant CPD. CPD is related to the areas identified through regular
reviews and audits and is tailored to the needs of the staff and the pupils. A range of expertise
is used to support staff, including effective use of the National Literacy Trust resources and
School Improvement Liverpool which underpins school practice.
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The S.O.A.R (St Oswald’s Are Readers) initiative gives a strong identity to reading for
pleasure in school. Reading is part and parcel of the learning environment, with pupils offered
lots of opportunities to read and to talk about reading. Reading is promoted through the
curriculum, underpinning learning. Pupils are confident and excited when talking about
reading, demonstrating a real love for reading in lots of forms. They have sound knowledge of
different authors, demonstrating interest in a wide range of authors and challenging texts. This
is particularly so for the pupils who attend reading clubs. Reading groups are led by teachers
who are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about authors and texts.
Reading Advocates and Reading Ambassadors are roles of which pupils are very proud. Their
contributions are valued and they promote reading confidently within their peer groups and are
given lots of opportunities to do so. The Reading Buddy partnerships are also really
appreciated by pupils who loved talking about being a buddy/being buddied. Staff are visible as
readers with their reading celebrated around school. Staff are ambassadors for reading and
reading role models too. Reading, authors and books are promoted around the school through
reading displays. Staff and pupils as readers are prominent around the school in displays,
including the hall. All staff are seen as readers. Class libraries and reading corners promote
reading and are well used.
The school website both promotes and captures the reading for pleasure ethos, with lots of
support for reading at home.
Reading is school wide. Some pupils are supported by a Beanstalk volunteer and others are
supported by parent readers. Reading for pleasure is timetable and also takes place at the end of
the day. Class readers are central to the curriculum in addition to guided reading. Outdoor
reading is loved by pupils. There is a specific trolley to take books outside and pupils have lots
of choices of where to read at playtimes. Outdoor reading is also part of the curriculum. There
is a staff book swap and staff share what they currently reading alongside what they read as
children, showing reading as a life-long journey.
Pupils have regular opportunities to engage in independent and shared reading. Each year
group will have class sets of books to read with; this will allow all pupils to have a shared
experience of a text. Classrooms have attractive reading corners and displays where children
can read a range of fiction, non fiction and picture books.
Home reading is well established with pupils encouraged to record whatever they have read, as
well as if they have read the home reader. The parent readers are enthusiastic supporters of how
the school approaches reading and they share this with pupils whose home support is not as
strong. Courses are offered to parents to help them with their own reading and to support their
children at home; alongside other course to support them with other key skills.
The relationship with the local and Central library is strong; Most pupils have membership and
make regular visits. Irene Mandelkow from Libraries works closely with the school too. Strong
mutually supportive links with Broughton Hall and their Reading Revolutionaries have been
established with visits to and from each school happening on a regular basis. The school also
makes effective use of our National Literacy Trust membership.
During the year, poets and storytellers visit the school and hold workshops with the children to
encourage them to experiment with reading different genres and inspire them to read and write
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poetry. St Oswald’s children also participate in World Book Week every year when reading for
enjoyment is widely promoted across the school.
Home Reading
Pupils are expected to read every night for between 10-20 minutes approximately depending on
their age. Reading records are to be filled in every night and checked by an adult in school the
next day.
At St Oswald’s the scheme reading books are book banded and located in the Year Four Area.
The children may choose a fiction or non-fiction book to read according to their ability level.
The book band colour is determined by the child’s reading level from previous test results and
teacher assessment. Children are expected to read and share these books at home and will have
regular opportunities to change them. Parents, pupils and class teachers will use the reading
logs to communicate about the pupils reading. Children can also choose a fiction or non fiction
book from the class library if they wish.
The children have Reading passports which encourage them to read for ten minutes every
night. Pupils collected reading miles by spending time reading books at home. These miles
allowed them to travel around the Commonwealth on a classroom poster. Pupils collected their
reading miles in their special reading passport – 33,000 miles (or 11 hours) in total. Every pupil
who completed their reading journey around the Commonwealth is crowned a Diamond Reader
and can be entered into a prize draw. All children who complete the journey will receive a star
reader reward sticker and a small prize. This is celebrated and is high profile in school.
Guided Reading
The goal of guided reading is to enable learners to become independent, able readers, who
understand and appreciate texts on their own without the teacher’s help. Guided reading takes
place in a small group (no bigger than 6), with a teacher or teaching assistant, and focuses on
developing pupil’s ability to become independent readers, thinkers and learners. The teacher
acts as the expert who guides the children through the text, providing signposts to the most
important and most helpful features of the textual landscape.
The pupils are grouped by ability and read individual copies of the same text, which matches
the reading level of the group. Class teachers will include a mix of fiction and non-fictions
texts, and where possible, texts should match the range being taught to the whole class or
which relates to another area of current learning or interest. Texts are selected from the
school’s numerous guided reading resources. At St Oswald’s, all groups of children have a
guided reading session once a fortnight. The session will follow the sequence of;
introduction/recap, a strategy check, independent reading/interaction, return and response,
followed by a reading activity.
The teacher/teaching assistant shares the key objective for the session with the pupils, assesses
pupil’s progress using reading AF’s, gives feedback and next steps in the plenary and records
outcomes on the guided reading planning sheet. The class teacher will dip in and out and listen
to each child read. This will give class teachers an opportunity to assess and monitor each
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pupil’s reading skills and ability, whilst still allowing the other pupils to continue reading.
Equality and reading
When teaching guided reading to EAL and SEN pupils, pictures books and visual cues are used
to support discussion in order to aid comprehension. Gender equality will be promoted by
making sure texts avoid stereotyping and by ensuring boys and girls have access to all the
resources available. In order to ensure boys are engaged and excited to read, appropriate texts
will be chosen that focus on boys interests.
More able children will be well planned for by taking into account their current reading levels
and providing them with rich texts that allow them to build on their reading skills and develop
their independent learning, reading and thinking skills.
Opportunities to discuss issues of race, gender etc will be provided through the discussion of
the resources used.
Resources
The guided reading resources for SEN are kept in a central location in the Year four area.
Specific Year group resources are found in each individual year group.
Comprehension
Reciprocal Reading
Staff are well supported by CPD, with a recent focus on Reciprocal Reading. This has been
embraced by the staff who spoke very enthusiastically about the impact of this on both the
teaching of reading and on the pupils as readers. Staff consider that pupils have developed a
much stronger a sense of what it means to be a good reader by using this approach.
Throughout KS2, pupils are taught specific skills which enable them to decode the meaning of
a text and how to form and express their own personal opinions and make comparisons.
Teachers use the following AF strands to question pupils and ensure their understanding of a
text. Teachers carefully plan their questions before a reading session to ensure a range of
question types.
AF2-Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use
quotation and reference to text.
AF3-Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
AF4-Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of the texts, including
grammatical and presentational features at text level
AF5-Explain and comment on writer’s use of language, including grammatical and literary
features at word level and sentence level
AF6-Identify and comment on writer’s purpose and viewpoints and the overall effect of the
text on the reader
AF7-Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical traditions
Assessment of reading Teacher assessment of the skills needed for reading, and the ability to read is carried out
throughout the year. The optional SAT’s tests and Year 6 SATs are analysed from the previous
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year to find areas of weakness which then become a whole school and year group target. The
children’s age related expectations are stuck into the front of their Literacy book which enables
them to see the next steps for progression.
Each classroom has Target displays which are shared and updated with children regularly.
Writing
"I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions." James A. Michener
The National Curriculum states that pupils should:
• Develop the stamina and skills to write at length
• Use accurate spelling and punctuation
• Be grammatically correct
• Write in a range of ways and purposes including narratives, explanations, descriptions,
comparisons, summaries and evaluations
• Write to support their understanding and consolidation of what they have heard or read
The 2014 Curriculum divides writing skills into two dimensions:
• Transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• Composition (articulating ideas in speech and writing)
We recognise that both these elements are essential to success and we support the acquisition
of both sets of skills through various methods. We recognise that these areas are clearly linked
to the other aspects of English learning: speaking and listening, reading, grammar and
vocabulary.
The teaching of writing is embedded across our curriculum. The key skills of composition,
planning and drafting, punctuation, spelling, grammar and handwriting are taught explicitly in
the context of literacy lessons but also indirectly through cross- curricular writing in other
subjects.
Our aims and provision
• We teach grammar as a separate lesson where necessary
• We correct grammatical error orally/ written work (where appropriate)
• We have a systematic approach, we revisit key learning and build upon it in all areas
from phonics, through to grammar and spelling
• We use high quality texts, modelling and shared/ collaborative writing to demonstrate
good practice
• We provide writing frames to support the least confident
• We provide time for planning, editing and revising
• We mark extended pieces of work in-depth and set targets with the pupil
• We use checklists for pupils to self-assess or peer-assess, when appropriate so they can
evaluate effectively
• We encourage joined handwriting to support spelling and speed
• We use drama and hot-seating to help pupils to think about another point of view
• Support for pupils with learning and motor difficulties
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Teachers provide children with the opportunity to write independently and apply their learning
from the unit. We include a weekly Big Writing session which covers different genres and
allows children to re-visit writing objectives.
Children in Year 6 take a written test which covers Spelling, Punctuation and
Grammar. Teachers are working from new guidelines to ensure that children cover the
necessary areas in KS2 and are well prepared for the test. All other year groups follow a
Grammar framework devised by the Liverpool English team from the new curriculum
framework 2014.
One lesson a week being of a specific grammar focus. Grammatical constructions and
terminology are introduced at a point in the teaching sequence that is relevant to the focus of
teaching. Activities are taught in pacy mental and oral VCOP sessions and are revised and
reinforced during writing sessions.
Modelled and Shared writing
Shared writing is a whole class activity where the teacher models the writing of the text. In
shared writing, the pupils will contribute to the text by suggesting words or sentences to be
used. The teacher demonstrates how to write and explains decisions. S/he will model thinking,
rehearsing sentences, writing and re-reading constantly generating words and ideas. Teachers
focus on the purpose, audience, level of formality, structure and organisation of the text. A
particular aspect of word or sentence level work provides an additional focus depending on the
objectives and targets begin worked on at that time.
This is an integral part of the literacy lesson where teachers and children construct a piece of
writing together, giving opportunities for the teacher to model writing using the children’s
ideas.
Guided Writing
Guided writing is a mini lesson within a literacy lesson itself. Guided writing groups are fluid
and change all the time. They may include children from all different ability groups. They may
also be target based (so those children who have the same writing target may be included in
one guided writing session). The guided writing session may have a separate learning objective
to that of the main teaching (for example, the children may be learning to write using different
sentence starters, however you have a group of children who are still not using full stops and
capital letters properly. Your guided writing session will involve those children learning to use
full stops and capital letters properly so they can make the most progress). At St Oswald’s there
is an equal weighting of guided reading and guided writing sessions.
Vocabulary Development: The National Curriculum makes clear that learning vocabulary is key to ‘learning and progress
across the whole curriculum’ (p11) since it allows pupils to access a wider range of words
when writing and for them to understand and comprehend texts efficiently.
Vocabulary teaching needs to be:
• Active
• Progressive/ systematic
• Making links from known words
• Develop understanding of shades of meaning
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• Include ‘instruction verbs’ used in examinations
• Subject specific- accurate mathematical and scientific words
Our aims and provision:
We encourage our pupils to have a wide and growing vocabulary in a number of ways, these
include:
• Spelling lists/ key words to take home and learn
• Display of key words linked to topics and subjects
• Using the correct vocabulary orally
• In-depth word based lessons looking at patterns
• Using dictionaries, thesaurus and similar programmes
• Carrying out systematic testing and providing feedback to pupils
• Targeted one to one/ small group support, where appropriate
The letters and sounds programme is used initially for children still on the phases for spelling
which is directly linked with phonics as well as key words and sight vocabulary. Y3 to Y6
teachers follow the statutory requirements connected to their year group which is covered in
our Liverpool Spelling medium term plans. Weekly spellings are sent home to learn from a set
programme to ensure full coverage of spelling patterns and tricky words.
Phonics As part of the Literacy lesson, children are taught the principles and practice of phonics
following the guidance of Letters and Sounds, Primary National Strategy. The teaching of
phonics is key to children developing their reading.
All children are assessed to see which phase of phonics they are currently on and grouped
accordingly. SEN children in years four, five and six will be taught their specific phonic phase
in twenty minute daily sessions with a trained classroom assistant whilst the rest of the year
groups continue with Support for Spelling lessons.
Children in Year three will be split into different groups according to their phonic level and
will move to be taught in a different classroom for the first 15 minutes each morning. Spellings
specific to each phase are sent home and key words are taken home to practise and are tested
on a weekly basis.
Teaching and learning At St Oswald’s we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our Literacy lessons in order
to meet the needs of all our pupils. Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills,
and understanding. We use the Primary Framework as a basis for our planning within the
subject.
Literacy is taught on a daily basis for approximately 1 hour with an additional Literacy session
throughout the week and is supported and enhanced through other curriculum areas.
In all classes children have a wide range of abilities, and we seek to provide suitable learning
opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child.
Staff have high expectations that all children can achieve their full potential.
Wherever possible, Teaching Assistants work in class, supporting all ability groups, specific
individuals or groups of children, ensuring that work is matched to the needs of the child.
Speaking and listening activities are embedded throughout the Curriculum. Children have the
opportunity to experience a wide range of texts, and to support their work with a variety of
resources, such as dictionaries, thesauruses and individual word banks. Staff provide balanced
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and varied learning opportunities within the classroom, i.e. VAK, content and organisation.
Children use ICT in Literacy lessons where it enhances their learning, as in drafting their work
and in using multimedia to study how words and images are combined to convey meaning.
Wherever possible we encourage children to use and apply their learning in other areas of the
Curriculum.
Within all year groups children’s learning is mainly in ability groups in their class, with
differentiated tasks and support, but will also include independent and partner work. Good
practice in reading and writing is shared and modelled in whole class teaching.
Teachers use a variety of interactive teaching methods to deliver the curriculum and achieve set
learning objectives.
Planning We carry out the curriculum planning in Literacy in three phases (long-term, medium-
term/short term). The new National Framework (2014) details what we teach in the long- term,
while our yearly teaching programme identifies the key objectives in literacy that we teach
with purposeful cross-curricular links with other subjects.
We use plans produced by the Liverpool English team who have developed a medium term
planning document to support effective implementation of the new National Curriculum
(2014).Children need to secure knowledge, understanding and skills in decoding and
comprehension in reading and in composition, transcription, vocabulary, grammar and
punctuation in writing. There is a key focus on the ‘Immerse, Analyse, Write’ teaching
sequence to ensure that children have opportunities to practise the key skills whilst building the
understanding and knowledge to apply these skills across a range of genres.
Each year group has a list of suggested genres with 2 – 3 week block plans for each one. Each
plan includes Statutory Requirements, previous knowledge, possible texts and suggested
teaching sequence.
The teachers are guided by these medium term plans to create detailed weekly short term
planning which gives the objectives and the differentiated activities, including support, where
appropriate. This is followed through with teacher assessment against the learning outcomes.
Children are expected by teachers to apply their literacy skills across the curriculum and are
provided with many opportunities to read and write in the foundation subjects. It is expected
that teachers will plan at least one piece of extended writing during their topic work (this
writing will be found in their topic or literacy books).
Groups of children will have a guided reading session once a fortnight. Children are grouped
according to ability and when not reading with the teacher, children are given a purposeful
activity to do independently.
All teachers have high expectations in the presentation of work in all areas of the curriculum.
Specific groups • Analysis of English achievement is carried out termly, pupils who are slow moving or
making little or no progress are discussed and plans made by the intervention team
• Pupils with EAL are given additional support in all aspects of English
• Pupils who are gifted and talented receive additional support, differentiated curriculum
and may be entered for Level 6 tests at the end of Key Stage Two
• Pupils with SEN will have English based targets on their IEP. These are reviewed
termly
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English lessons, tasks and materials are differentiated by the class teacher to meet the needs of
individual children. A number of intervention strategies are used to develop children’s specific
learning needs in Literacy. These include many programmes designed to support classroom
learning, as well as specific programmes for dyslexia and other special needs. The Active
Literacy and Units of Sound Programmes are used successfully throughout the school.
Assessment
Writing
Analysis of writing assessments feed into pupil progress meeting which allows for targeted,
precision teaching within the classroom so that children are learning what is needed to help
them to progress. Pupil progress meetings also enable teachers to analyse gaps in learning and
focus on the next steps needed for progress.
Moderation of writing assessments is carried out several times a year, guided by the Literacy
Coordinator.
Handwriting
National Curriculum for KS2 September 2014
There are a number of changes to the curriculum. Below are the requirements for handwriting
teaching in Y1-6 in England quoted directly from the document: Statutory guidance National
curriculum in England Sept 2014.
Quotes concerning handwriting taken from the text:
• Pupils who do not learn to read and write fluently and confidently are, in every sense,
disenfranchised (‘Purpose of Study’)
• Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting. (Programmes of
study and attainment targets)
Lower Key Stage 2 Years 3-4
Joined handwriting should be the norm; pupils should be able to use it fast enough to keep pace
with what they want to say.
Pupils should be taught to: • use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which
letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
• increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting,
Upper Key Stage 2 – Years 5-6
Pupils should be able to write down their ideas quickly.
By the end of year 6, pupils’ reading and writing should be sufficiently fluent and effortless for
them to manage the general demands of the curriculum in year 7
Pupils should be taught to: write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by:
• choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding, as part of their
personal style, whether or not to join specific letters
• choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task (e.g. quick notes, letters).
See Handwriting policy
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Literacy and inclusion
At St Oswald’s we teach Literacy to all children, whatever their ability. It is part of the
school Curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all children. We
provide learning opportunities that are matched to the needs of children with learning
difficulties and those learning Literacy as an additional language, as well as providing
appropriate, challenging planned work for those children who are more able.
Work in Literacy takes into account the targets set for children.
Contribution of Literacy in other Curriculum areas
The skills that children develop in Literacy are linked to, and applied in, every subject of our
curriculum. The children’s skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening enable them to
communicate and express themselves in all areas of their work at school.
Mathematics
The teaching of Literacy contributes significantly to children’s mathematical understanding, in
a variety of ways. Children at St Oswald’s are encouraged to read and interpret problems, in
order to identify the mathematics involved. They explain and present their work to others
during plenary sessions, and they communicate mathematically through the developing use of
precise mathematical language.
EAL
At St Oswald’s we use the Talking Partners Intervention Programme for EAL children and
children who are reluctant talkers. We work closely with EMTAS in assessing the children.
SEAL(PSHE) Literacy contributes to the teaching of PSHE and citizenship by encouraging children to take
part in class and group discussions on topical issues. Older children also research and debate
topical problems and events. They discuss lifestyle choices, and meet and talk with visitors
who work within the school community. Planned activities within the classroom also
encourage children to work together and to respect each other’s views.
SMSC
The children can offer critical responses to the moral questions they meet in their work.
Their understanding and appreciation of a range of texts brings them into contact with their
own literary heritage and with texts from a diverse range of cultures.
The organisation of our lessons allows children to work together, and gives them the chance to
discuss their ideas and results.
ICT
ICT is used at whole-class, group and independent level and promotes, enhances and supports
the teaching of Literacy Use of a projector and interactive whiteboard enables texts to be read
and shared and permits the writing process to be modelled effectively. A range of software is
used to develop specific grammatical and spelling skills.
A range of equipment such as digital cameras, digital camcorders are used to promote speaking
and listening and also prepare children for writing experiences.
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St Oswald’s Catholic Junior School
L.Hindley February 2015 Page 14
Monitoring
Teachers are formally monitored by the leadership team, through regular learning walks,
as well as one termly observation, in accordance with the school’s observation cycle.
Informal monitoring is carried out by the literacy co-ordinator, who oversees that planning,
teaching and assessment strategies are being carried out consistently, and in accordance with
the school’s expected standards. Lesson demonstrations and paired observation provide support
to raise attainment where needed.
The monitoring of literacy books is carried out by the literacy coordinator on a termly
basis, and books are also monitored by senior management in SMT meetings. Children are also
informally interviewed about their work and lessons in Literacy. Written
feedback is given where necessary to teachers on the quality of work, presentation,
marking and attainment evident in their books. This process allows us to share good
practice.
Role of Subject Leader
The English Subject Leader is responsible for the development and monitoring of the Literacy
curriculum to ensure a coherent literacy strategy for our school. She can help teachers with
their planning and is responsible for developing the school’s policy.
The SL will assist teachers by leading staff meetings, planning and leading INSET activities,
providing consultancy and advice, and by supporting them in the classroom. The SL is
responsible for implementing changes required by the New National curriculum and will attend
training courses in respect of its implementation. The knowledge and skills gained on these
courses will be imparted to colleagues through regular staff meetings and on INSET days. The
SL also ensures that all staff access the relevant CPD.
The Head teacher / Subject Leader will monitor planning, Literacy work, reading records and
assessments. She will also gather the views of children in termly discussions.
Professional development • The English Co-ordinator attends termly training and reports back to all staff
• The local cluster has an English group which meets termly
• Staff are expected to attend relevant courses during the school year
• Moderation takes place in house, within the cluster and with support from LA
• A writing moderation file is held for consultation
Policy Review
This policy was written by the Literacy Subject Leader in consultation with staff.
It is due for review during the summer term of 2016.
Signed …………………………………………….. Chair of Governors
Signed ……………………………………………… Head teacher