English Curriculum Map Cycle A
English Curriculum Map Cycle B
Progression and Planning
Intent
At St. Godric’s, we believe that being able to read and write well are the vital skills that enable us to understand and express ourselves effectively. These skills open the door to learning and help our children to develop not only the technical skills of reading and writing, but also to develop a love of literature. We strive to ensure that all of our pupils receive a well-rounded learning experience when reading, writing, speaking and listening, equipping them with the fundamental tools to achieve success. It is our intention to immerse pupils in high-quality texts to instil a love of reading, a passion for discovery and a confidence to explore their imagination.
Our aim at St. Godric’s is to:
- Ensure that every child becomes a reader, a writer and confident speaker by the time they leave our school.
- Promote and instil a love of reading, writing and high-quality literature into pupils of all ages.
- Create an English curriculum which develops the acquisition of knowledge and skills in line with the National Curriculum expectations and provides opportunities for children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively, as confident readers and writers.
Writing is a crucial part of our curriculum. By the end of Year 6 we intend our children to have developed a love of writing and to be able to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through the written word. We aim to create writers who can re-read, edit and improve their own writing, and be able to confidently use the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Our practice is grounded in the process of shared writing, with a systematic focus on securing the basics of handwriting, phonics, spelling and grammar in relation to what children need to make progress, in the text type being taught. It is also founded on the principal that children should read and be read to often, both at home and at school. Here at St. Godric’s, we set high expectations for all our children to take pride in their work and allow their imaginations to flourish.
Implementation
Our English curriculum is centred around the use of high quality texts and literature. We use books, texts and videos to create opportunities to develop reading fluency and comprehension with a focus on key reading strategies and skills. Our curriculum is designed to develop grammar and punctuation knowledge through teaching that is embedded within our units of work so that children can use and apply their skills in a purposeful way, and apply this knowledge across the wider curriculum. Carefully planned and sequenced units of work explore the writing structure and features of different genres, identifying purpose and audience, leading to extended pieces of writing with a clear context and purpose. Our teaching sequence include three clear stages:
Stage 1: Imitation
This stage begins with an exciting hook into learning and some engaging activities to help the children to internalise the pattern of language required for the chosen text and genre. It is essential that during this initial stage the children become orally competent and can re-tell a chosen story/extract by the end of the imitation section. The oral story-telling is supported by a story map that the teacher has created, which is accompanied by physical movements to help the children recall the story or non-fiction piece. Once the children have internalised the language of the text, they are in a position to read the text and start to think about the key components that help to make it an effective piece of writing. During this stage the children split the text up into sections to help the them to analyse the features that have helped to make the text work. Finally, the class begins to co-construct a toolkit for the text type so that they can confidently talk about the essential components that are needed to create effective writing of the particular genre.
Stage 2: Innovation
The second stage of the writing process is an exciting one for the children as they begin to explore their own ideas, innovating on the pattern of the text. Younger and less confident writers alter their text maps and orally rehearse their ideas, creating their own version of the text. The key focus is shared writing with the teacher, which supports the children to move away from the original text and create their own version. It is during this time that the teacher will identify specific areas of learning and give the children the opportunity to explore different skills before they write independently. The teacher will also explore and demonstrate how to accurately use ambitious vocabulary and sentence structures that the children can apply to their own writing. Demonstrating how to regularly read their work aloud enables the children to develop the inner judge, where they can make decisions about the most effective choice of vocabulary or grammatical device to use in their writing. Time will be given at the end of each writing session for the teacher to provide feedback for the children to help them improve their writing in the following session.
Stage 3: Independent Application
This is the final stage of the writing process and will provide children with the most freedom with regards to their writing. The teacher will assess what the children can do and adapt their planning in light of this. This unit will begin with discreet teaching of an area that has been identified as needed further work. More examples of the text are introduced, analysed and compared before the children begin to create their own piece or writing. This section will end with response partner and whole class discussion about which features worked, followed by an opportunity to edit and improve their work. At the end of the unit, the children’s work will be shared, celebrated and displayed.
Our English curriculum is built around high-quality core texts which expose children to a wide variety of writing opportunities in which they discuss, explore and understand various texts and genres of writing. Through daily exposure to high quality texts, children’s attention is drawn to the vocabulary and language choices made by different authors and the resulting impact upon the audience or reader. Through this approach, children build a varied cumulative vocabulary of topic specific language, both technical and creative, which they are encouraged to apply to their written work.
Impact
Pupils will make good progress from their own personal starting points. By the end of Year 6, they will be able to write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style to a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Our pupils will acquire a wide vocabulary and have a strong command of the written word. Most importantly, our children will develop a love of writing and will be well equipped to achieve success for the rest of their education. By teaching our pupils to become life-long independent and motivated writers, we are providing them with the most powerful cultural capital possible – an ability to turn your voice (your thoughts, knowledge, opinions and artistry) into powerful writing.
