Curriculum

English

At Nightingale Primary School, English is designed to engage and enthuse all pupils. We ensure that reading and writing is an enjoyable, positive and successful experience. English at our school teaches pupils to speak, read and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching across all subjects; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. We believe that fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects & our teachers develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject.

Through our English curriculum, we promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. We will ensure that all pupils;

• 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 & knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in, and for a range of contexts, purposes & audiences
• Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate & explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• Are competent in the art of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others & participating in debate.
• Spelling and phonics are explicitly taught so that children can apply these skills to their reading and writing with accuracy and fluency
• Children are taught to become accurate, fluent readers using the RWI synthetic phonics programme. All children are assessed regularly and taught in homogenous groups to ensure that they make good progress until they finish the RWI
programme. Where children are not making expected progress, they are supported to keep up through additional phonics intervention.
• Handwriting is modelled and taught with regular opportunities to apply to published pieces of work.

At Nightingale Primary School, our children will have the skills and the confidence to flourish as they move on to the next stage of their education.

Reading

At Nightingale, we believe that it is vital for children to learn to read confidently in order for them to become independent learners. We have a rich reading culture throughout the school through teacher modelling, a well-resourced school library, vocabulary rich displays, high quality texts, and inviting reading areas within all classrooms.

Reading is a crucial life-skill and, at Nightingale Primary School, we strongly believe that reading broadly and frequently increases pupils’ vocabulary due to them encountering words they would rarely hear or use in everyday spoken language. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-chest of wonder and joy for curious young minds. We know that it is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject, to be successful in their forthcoming secondary education. We foster a love for reading throughout our curriculum which is based on high quality and engaging text drivers that are suitable to children’s age, ability and experiences.

In EYFS and Key Stage 1, children are given a reading book to take home that links directly with RWI. This book is a Read, Write, Inc. Phonics Book Bag book that matches their phonics focus and can be read independently by the children. The aim is that this book is read multiple times at home to allow children to become more fluent readers at a level that is appropriate for them. In Lower Key Stage 2, children are encouraged to take home their choice of library books each week and some children in Lower Key Stage 2 will also bring home a RWI Book Bag book to match their current phonics learning in school. However, in Upper Key Stage 2, children who need continued phonics support will read a ‘Fresh Start’ anthology and also bring their own choice of library book home too, encouraging a love of reading alongside practicing at a level that is appropriate for them as individuals.

A reading diary is provided to all children as a place where parents, staff and children can comment on their progress in reading – for KS2 pupils, this takes the form of a book review for pupils to complete themselves, if they choose to.

Phonics and Spelling

At Nightingale we follow the Read, Write, Inc. Phonics programme. Children are taught daily phonics throughout EYFS, Key Stage 1 and in Key Stage 2, where needed. Read, Write, Inc. Phonics teaches children to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension.

Through Read, Write, Inc. Phonics, children learn the English alphabet code: first, they learn one way to read the 40+ sounds and blend these sounds into words, then they learn to read the same sounds with alternative graphemes. Lively phonic books are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and ‘tricky’ words and, as children re-read stories, their fluency increases. Along with a thought-provoking introduction, prompts for thinking out loud and discussion, children are helped to read with a storyteller’s voice.

To embed the RWI phonics and to help children learn vital spelling skills, children in Key Stage Two are taught spellings through a scheme called ‘Sounds & Syllables’ – a spelling scheme that follows a weekly routine and ensures that all teachers are delivering these lessons using a repeated method in each class and year group. Children will be introduced to their spelling words on a Monday, followed by in class consolidation and further learning of the words and how to spell them from Tuesday to Thursday. A paper copy of the spelling lists is sent home to parents and an electronic copy is posted onto Class Dojo. On Fridays, children will also learn the statutory words for their year group too.

Library

The children have regular opportunities to visit the library. All classes are allocated weekly library sessions where children choose their own library books to take home. Our library is a safe and welcoming environment that entices all pupils, encouraging them to relish in the enjoyment of reading. It is well-stocked with a wonderful range of books for all ages and interests. Time is always given for all children to sit quietly and enjoy reading some of their favourite books during their library session, as well as basking in the pleasure of being read to by their class teacher.

How can you support your child’s reading at home?

It is expected that children in all year groups read at home daily, either to an adult or independently, depending on their age and ability. We encourage children to read anything that interests them – this doesn’t always have to be a story book!

Parents can support their children to learn key words using the lists sent home or as part of their child’s everyday reading, pointing them out in sentences or asking children if they can spot them in their books. Short activities such as cutting up key word cards and playing games with them, e.g. making up silly sentences by combining different words, keeps learning fun. We want all of our children to enjoy learning to read!

We would encourage you to read to your child as much as possible. You can read anything at all with your child but choosing something that your child shows interest in is valuable. Reading aloud to your child helps to develop their range of vocabulary and enhance their enjoyment of books which in turn helps them develop their writing skills. It can be helpful to talk about the books that they are reading, asking them questions about the characters, stopping to ask them what they think might happen next, or asking for their opinion of the story. Bedtimes are a perfect opportunity to snuggle up and read to your child, and is particularly important for our younger children. Not only is it calming and prepares them well for a good night’s sleep, it is also imperative for them to have reading modelled to them regularly as well as it being vital for their social and emotional development. If you don’t have many books at home or would like a new book to read with your child, you are always welcome to borrow a book from one of our ‘Bedtime Boxes’ which will be located outside your child’s classroom.

Supporting Reading at Home Handbook

Literacy Websites

Here are some recommended websites for supporting your child’s reading:

Oxford Owl: A fantastic site to support reading and maths skills, including a large number of free e-books which are also tablet friendly.

Phonics Play: Lots of useful phonics games and resources.

Teach Your Monster to Read: A free game to practise the first steps of reading. You can also download the app to have regular access to these games on your smart phone or tablet.

Words For Life: Excellent guidance from the Literacy Trust.

Guardian Children’s Book site: Recommended reads and much more!