English

English at Seascale School

Intent

English is the foundation of our curriculum and equips our pupils with the necessary skills and knowledge to allow them to communicate effectively and understand and navigate the world around them.

A successful English curriculum prepares our children for lifelong learning. Our intention at Seascale School is that through high quality teaching, our children will:

1. Read fluently for pleasure and to understand new information.
2. Talk clearly and confidently using a wide and varied vocabulary to express their thoughts, feelings and opinions.
3. Write with confidence and at length across a variety of genres and for a range of purposes.

Implementation

English teaching builds on pupils’ spoken language as a starting point for communication. This provides a strong foundation for an understanding of lexicon and grammatical structures which are an integral part of reading and writing. Pupils then use phonics from Early Years and throughout KS1 and beyond, if needed, to develop their knowledge of the written word as sounds, so they can use this to decode fluently. As pupils progress through the school, teachers build upon pupils’ decoding skills to develop text comprehension and fluency. In writing; each component is given focussed time so that transcription and composition skills combine to create purposeful writing.

High-quality texts are at the heart of the English curriculum at Seascale School, providing an engaging stimulus from which reading and writing can be inspired. In EYFS, ‘Key Texts’ are carefully chosen to engage pupils and inspire learning across the Early Years Framework. In Key Stage 1 and 2, challenging texts are carefully chosen from Hamilton Trust and Power of Reading to challenge and inspire. Through this approach, we ensure that pupils are exposed to a language-rich curriculum through modelling and talk. 

At Seascale School, we know that reading is the foundation of all learning.

Impact

The impact of our English Curriculum will be measured not only through assessment data, but qualitative data gathered through pupil voice, staff evaluation, moderation, book scrutinies and lesson observations. 

Regular monitoring will also identify those children in need of extra support and ensure that strategies are implemented for those not working at age-related expectations. 

Through our approach, pupils will apply their skills and knowledge in English, across the curriculum and every day, in their lives beyond school.  Our approach ensures that our children become confident, independent learners equipped for later life and further education.

Click on the links below to see English in action throughout our school.