TranslateEnglish Curriculum Overview
In years 1 and 2 pupils have a daily English lesson, their curriculum novel is looked at in detail with a range of writing genres being taught. Pupils in Year 3 to 6 have a daily English Lesson. Within this lesson they are taught the following writing genres: chronological and non-chronological reports, formal and informal letters, instructions, balanced arguments and persuasive writing, stories and poems.
Teachers introduce each genre with a book, poem or text which acts as a stimulus for their writing. The book is read to or with the class and they are also given opportunities to read and discuss good examples of the genre being taught, the aim being for them to become confident writers in each genre.
Pupils are also given time to build up their vocabulary and are taught genre specific vocabulary. They are encouraged to use this in their own writing.
Teachers will model how to write each genre and support pupils as they develop their writing skills, through marking and verbal feedback. There is also an English Working Wall in each class, where genre specific information is displayed to support pupils in their understanding. Toolkits are available for children to access in order to promote their independence skills.
Pupils also have 15 minutes per day dedicated to spelling and grammar. Weekly spellings are given for homework and the Statutory Spelling Lists are taught in each year group. We follow the “No Nonsense” Spelling and Grammar Schemes. Teachers also teach grammar that is needed for the specific writing genre being taught.
Handwriting is taught using the Continuous Cursive style, using Letter Join. Teachers model correct cursive handwriting when marking books, writing on flip charts and on displays. There is a dedicated time within class timetables to teach handwriting to ensure that there is a whole school focus on the importance of high quality presentation.
