Our English curriculum has been designed to embed a creative, consistent and sequenced approach to English which we hope will ignite a life-long passion for the subject. We strive for all children become confident and fluid readers, enabling them to use their love for reading for both information and pleasure.

We teach English though discrete English Lessons, Phonics Sessions, and Whole Class Reading lessons.  English opportunities also permeate through our wider curriculum.

Reading is at the very heart of our SHINE Curriculum. Children’s reading skills are developed through a range of progressive texts, whilst prioritising reading for pleasure at the heart of all we do. Our text-led curriculum allows us to carefully select a range of high-quality texts in order to immerse our children in rich language to teach our reading and writing curriculum. The selection of recommended books are used as a high-quality stimuli for writing and enables children to be fully immersed in the text, allowing children to carefully craft their writing through a range of experiences in the immerse, analyse and write process.

Children can apply their skills through independent writing sessions known as ‘Write and Shine’ and write for purpose when publishing their final written pieces. Core skills permeate every stage of learning for grammar, spelling and comprehension and prepare children well for the high expectations we hold of them. A wide range of experiences and opportunities help to guide children’s thirst for learning thus developing children’s individual flair and passion for the subject.

We are passionate about the teaching of Reading and teach a Read into Write approach in our English Lessons. We have chosen this approach as at Highfield St Matthew’s as we want all of our children to develop a love for English as a whole and in turn as teachers, model that passion and drive for the subject. The Read into Write approach is broken down into three stages:

Immerse, Analyse, Write

Each year follows our long-term plan which outlines the high-quality class text for each half term, the genre and writing outcome expected for the unit.

Children read a high-quality text assigned from their year group English Long-Term Plan. The assigned high-quality text is a ‘driver’ for both Reading and Writing lessons and form our whole school Reading Spine. At Highfield St Matthew’s we teach a Reading into Writing approach. Texts have been carefully chosen to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and to provide a high-quality stimulus for the teaching of Reading as well as being an exciting, rich and boy friendly text for the class.

Our exciting library areas celebrate books from around the world with different settings and cultures. We have a varied, rich selection of texts to interest all readers within all age groups. Our new KS1 library hosts all of our phonics books for KS1 children to choose a fiction, non-fiction and corresponding book bag book to take home and read. 

Home / School Reading

At Highfield St Matthew’s C.E. Primary School, we are truly passionate that all children at Highfield learn to read, as reading is the gateway to all learning. Therefore, we strive for every child to learn to read and for them to develop a love and passion for reading by reading together and sharing stories.

Home Reading Expectations

For children in Reception, Year 1 – 2 we ask that reading is supported a minimum of 3 times per week at home.

For children in Year 3 -6 we ask that reading is supported a minimum of 4 times per week at home.

Your child’s reading diary is a link between home and school. Your child’s teacher will check and sign your child’s reading diary twice a week.

Home Reading Incentives

The children will be rewarded for reading at home every half term.

If your child reads:

• 1-3 times per week at home, they will receive a Bronze reward.
• 4-5 times per week at home, they will receive a Silver reward.
• 6-7 times per week at home, they will receive a Gold reward.
• All reading counts, including reading from a variety of sources and sharing stories as a family.

Lots of reading takes place in school and there is excitement about improvements being made to the library areas. We have spent time creating a multi-media room which includes a KS2 library area. In here, children can select books from the Accelerated Reader Scheme and also books for pleasure. We have created a reading an exciting reading chair and a reading corner with cushions and bean bags for quiet reading. Several new books have been bought so there are a variety of Accelerated Reader and reading for pleasure books for the children to choose from.

At Highfield St. Matthew's C.E. Primary School we use the following schemes:

Read Write Inc

Accelerated Reader

Our Writing Process

Writing follows a bespoke sequence which incorporates a wide range of selective elements in the process to teaching writing following the Immerse, Analyse, Write and Publish approach to the teaching of writing. Each genre and writing outcome originates from a quality text driver which has been carefully selected as a high quality, stimulating with a range of ‘boy friendly’ texts for each year group.

The writing sequence overview is outlined below:

Immerse

• Creative Hook – achieved through drama, role play, props or an experience
• Immerse in the text type – read and discuss the text. Understand the purpose of the text
• Read as a reader – understand the text and vocabulary and the impact on the reader
• Immerse in other text types or extracts – read and analyse their style
• Understanding of vocabulary – find definitions, explore the effect on the reader and applying the vocabulary in context

Analyse

• Analyse writing features – annotate the key features in a text driver or WAGOLL
• Success criteria and toolkit – create a list of features and how to achieve the writing style
• Analysis of grammar – what impact does it have on the reader?
• Short Burst Write – apply the writing style

Write

• Generate ideas as a class / individually – to ensure writing variation
• Plan ideas as a class / individually
• Model writing – explicit modelling and modelling variation
• Draft writing – children draft in sections or the whole piece where appropriate
• Edit writing
• Children to publish their final writing piece using illustrations and other engaging ideas to hook the children into their final published piece

Independent Writing – 'Write and Shine'

‘Write and Shine’ provides a discreet opportunity in the timetable for children to produce an independent piece of writing, additional to their weekly genre lessons. Children receive a limited input and write their extended piece based upon a previously taught genre.

Process

Every two weeks - children complete an independent piece of writing outlined in the English Long-Term Plan. The following week, children are given the opportunity to independently edit their written piece in purple pen.

Following an analysis of the children’s work, specific feedback will be given to the class linked to a specific area or strand and further edits can be made by the children in purple pen. The Write and Shine process aims to develop stamina, creativity, independence, grammar skills and the ability for a child to analyse and improve their own writing.