English

Intent

At Barford St Peter's, our aim is to help children develop fluency in, and a love for, the English language, through the spoken and written word. English is a core subject within the National Curriculum and set the foundations for progress across all subjects from reception until the end of your child's time in school.

Mastery over language and a curiosity towards literature empowers children to communicate not only at a functional level but also on a creative and imaginative level too. We strive for our children to be exposed to and explore a vast wealth of literature in order to achieve this mastery.

By the age of 11, we aim for children to be able to:

• 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
• show competence in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Implementation

At Barford St Peter's C.E. we provide children with a curriculum that is rich in vocabulary and high-quality texts. All of the texts that we use are linked to our wider curriculum. These books are at the core of our learning and challenge our children on both an academic level and an emotional level. Our children have opportunities to explore the curriculum through not just writing and reading, but drama, discussion and creative responses.  Our teachers keep their practice up-to-date with regular opportunities for CPD and collaboration with expert colleagues. High-quality teaching underpins your child's English experience at Barford and teaches know how the children are progressing through regular formative and summative assessment. 

Please see the links below for further detail about how our intent statement is implemented in these specific areas.

Impact

The assessment for reading and writing is ongoing but at the end of each half term the children will sit formal assessments using the NFER assessment test in reading. Writing will also be moderated both within school and in the local consortia of schools each term to track children's progress. As a result of these assessments, outcomes are scrutinised to ensure that children are making good progress. Where this is not the case, targeted interventions are put in place.

At the end of year 1, children will take the statutory phonics test to ascertain whether they have a secure understanding of phonics. In line with statutory guidelines, children will take part in Statutory Assessment Tests at the end of Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

Our children leave school as literate individuals who are able to show preference toward certain texts and authors. They enjoy reading and writing for both information and enjoyment. They will be able to use a critical eye to analyse texts across multiple genres and respond to them with rigour and depth. Children at Barford use the teaching of English to broaden their horizons and experience a world beyond their own. This helps to form them into well-rounded, empathetic individuals who will forever show kindness and compassion.