Intent

• We want every child to be a fluent reader by the time they are 7. If not, they are given every effort to help catch up so that they can access an ambitious, broad, and balanced curriculum which is designed and delivered in a way to help them remember more.
• A tangible culture of reading resonates throughout the school.

To develop a curriculum which achieves the following:

• Instils a love of reading through story time, shared reading, reading-rich learning environments and the enjoyment of knowing and retelling stories.
• Ensures that every child (including those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged and those with SEND) is challenged and leaves as a confident, able (in fluency and comprehension) and passionate reader.
• Uses reading as vehicle for the whole curriculum.
• Exposes children to an abundance of varied texts which have different purposes so that children can develop their own views about books and texts and talk about these.
• Sequences learning so that it progressively teaches children the word reading, underpinned by phonics, fluency and comprehension skills required to become competent, confident and enthusiastic readers.

Implementation

Reading Content and Sequence

• The National Curriculum forms the basis of teaching and learning and dictates the curriculum content for Reading.
• Systematic Synthetic Phonics is taught daily in EYFS and KS1, and in KS2 when appropriate. 
• From the first day in Foundation Stage, children are taught to read using phonics. We follow the Read Write Inc Phonics programme. Parents may be interested in the video here to learn more. 

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• A rich variety of texts are used for the teaching of reading to give the children a breath of reading experiences.
• Fluency is focused on, and lesson structures have been designed to be used to develop children's fluency skills. Here are some examples:

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• The ‘Reading Content and Sequence’ document is used as support for planning to ensure that there is progression in the development of key skills which are zoomed in on during lessons.
• Meta-mates are used to plan the teaching of reading skills. These enable children to have a clear understanding of the skills that they are using and how to interpret questions/activities. Each week, a focus Meta-mate skill is taught. In the summer term of Y2, and KS2, children progress through the stages of learning: acquire/refine, practise/apply and extend/deepen.
• Interleaved learning is planned for to enable the opportunity for children to revisit and practise skills.
• Children are exposed to a wide variety of texts to develop their knowledge within a range of areas and thus providing cultural capital.
• As knowledge is fundamental to comprehension, lessons are used to unlock texts through making links about
• Vocabulary is a focus and lessons are planned to provide maximum opportunities for children to analyse the use of vocabulary and develop their knowledge of it.

Reading Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Feedback

• Reading is taught through the whole curriculum. In all subjects, children use reading as a means to gain knowledge, and this begins from the earliest stages (in EYFS).
• A high emphasis is placed on early reading and children are given many opportunities for independent, shared and modelled reading every week.
• Where gaps in children’s reading are identified, tailored additional provision is planned to support children to close these gaps. Same-day catch up and 1:1 tutoring in RWI is used to support children.
• Word reading and comprehension are taught as separate skills throughout school, as stipulated in the National Curriculum. Word reading is taught through phonics, word morphology, word etymology and exploring vocabulary. Comprehension skills are through our ‘Meta-mates’ approach. Meta-mates are used as a tool for children to understand the skills that they are using within reading lessons. There is a Meta-mate focus every week.
• Shared reading occurs in every classroom through daily story time. Story-time books are selected to ensure that they broaden children’s experiences of texts. Each year group has a list of texts which they will read to the children. These are available in the book corner of their own and subsequent classes.
• Children are given the opportunity to read a book of their choice independently for pleasure. Children are guided to select books that are appropriate for their independent reading level. They are encouraged to take these books home to read independently.
• Read, Write Inc sessions are designed to allow FS2 and KS1 children to develop their knowledge and application of phonics through daily teaching and retrieval practice.
• Feedback is given in line with the Feedback Policy. Children are given live feedback through yippee yellow and VF. Children are then given the opportunity to respond to this at the same point in time.
• Summative and formative assessment is used for gap analysis. Additional provision is planned for those children who require support.

Impact

• There is a tangible love of reading which resonates around school.
• Children are able to read and understand texts at an appropriate level. Children can, therefore, access all subjects across the curriculum.
• Children write appropriately for audience and purpose.
• Child voice states that the use of Meta-mates enables them to break down the learning and understand how to apply skills when reading.
• Teachers have a deeper understanding of how to teach the skills of reading through the use of Meta-mates.
• A richer vocabulary and the tools to engage in more meaningful dialogue around books.
• As we believe that reading is key to all learning, the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the result of statutory assessments. Children have the opportunity to enter the wide and varied magical worlds that reading opens up to them. As they develop their own interest in books, a deep love of literature across a range of genres, cultures and styles is enhanced.
• Children make very good progress through KS2 and children’s attainment and average progress is well above national.
• Children leave with a love of reading. Child voice suggests that the books that they are exposed to at Totley encourage them to enjoy reading beyond school.
• Every child leaves Totley Primary as a fluent reader and with the knowledge and skills required to access the high levels of texts that they will continue to be exposed to during the next stage in their education.
• Children leave Totley Primary having been exposed to a wide range of texts which have developed their knowledge in a range of areas; therefore, providing cultural capital.

Writing Intent

To develop a curriculum which achieves the following:

• Inspires and enables children to write passionately for purposeful outcomes.
• Immerses children in knowledge to apply in their writing so that they can present their ideas coherently.
• Allows children to be creative with their writing, using their own reading for models for writing.
• Cumulatively sequences the progression of knowledge and skills to enable children to build on prior learning so that they can produce writing for different purposes.
• Develops knowledge of a breadth of vocabulary which children can use effectively.
• Exposes children to high quality texts, developing knowledge about a wide range of subject areas, and giving them models for their own writing.

Implementation

Writing Content and Sequence

• The National Curriculum forms the basis of teaching and learning and dictates the curriculum content for writing at Totley Primary School.
• Learning is progressive. Each level of challenge builds on prior learning and extends thinking. In each Learning Journey, children learn components which then form a composite outcome. Within the component steps, children are given the opportunity to acquire/refine and practise/apply their learning.
• Opportunities are given for the children to write creatively, applying skills chosen by them.
• Outcomes are chosen which give the children a purpose for their writing.
• Key texts are used to determine the content of the Learning Journeys and writing is mostly linked to books that children have read.
• Learning over time is sequenced to ensure that children have an opportunity to revisit and practise objectives through interleaving.
• Children are taught using the Learning Journey, during which the children are taught through 7 phases: Immerse, WAGOLL, Launch point, Toolkit, PIP, Edit and Check.
• Learning Journeys are planned to allow children to build on their knowledge from wider curriculum subjects and transfer this into their writing.
• Grammar objectives are taught as components as part of the Learning Journey as well as discretely when appropriate.
• Children progress at their individual pace, and there are greater depth objectives and writing opportunities planned for all children who are secure within the expected objectives within the Learning Journey.
• Vocabulary is a focus and lessons are planned to provide maximum opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and effective application of vocabulary.

Writing Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Feedback

• Lessons are part of a journey. Children understand that lessons are cumulative and there is a clear sequence in place in order for children to be aware of how they are progressing through the journey in order to produce their very best outcome.
• Formative assessment is used constantly in order to determine children’s starting points, to address misconceptions and to challenge children appropriately each lesson.
• Feedback is given in line with the Feedback Policy. Children are given live feedback through yippee yellow and VF. Children are then given the opportunity to respond to this at the same point in time.
• Children’s starting points each lesson are decided upon based upon prior learning and teacher assessment.
• Scaffolding is in place for children to enable them to access the tools they need each lesson through teacher or teaching assistant support, learning walls and spelling, vocabulary and skills mats. When children have gaps in their knowledge, tailored additional provision is planned for.
• Children are given the opportunity to think through and write their ideas down before learning new skills. This reduces cognitive overload when children compose texts during the PIP phase.
• Children’s writing outcomes are also used for formative and summative assessment. Next steps for individuals or the whole class are identified, and planning is amended in response to this.

Impact

• Nearly every child is an accurate and effective writer for their age, who can write for a range of audiences and purposes.
• Children write purposefully. They feel a sense of pride about their writing, which has been crafted by them using the knowledge and skills taught.
• Children of all abilities, and from all backgrounds, those who are disadvantaged, and those with SEND achieve well in lessons.
• Attainment outcomes are high. Nearly every child achieves the expected standard in reading and writing by the end of Key Stage 2. A high percentage of children reach greater depth within the standard in reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, and writing.
• Average progress is well-above average, with children exceeding national expectations for expected progress.
• Children see themselves as writers.
• Children leave with a deep understanding of how to write grammatically accurately.
• Children leave Totley Primary with a breadth of vocabulary knowledge which is used within spoken English and their writing.

Oracy

Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing, and oracy is a key driver in our curriculum.

We aim to do the following:

• Develop talk through children’s back-and-forth interactions from the earliest stages of school.
• Teach children how to express their ideas and opinions effectively to others.
• Develop children to become confident and effective communicators and speakers for a range of purposes and audiences.
• Develop a breadth of vocabulary knowledge so that children make considered choices about how they verbalise their thoughts.
• Ensure that children have the ability to structure their ideas to verbalise them effectively.

We teach a range of skills that will enable children to develop their speaking, through the following strands: physical, linguistic, cognitive and social emotional. 

Opportunities for children to be taught and develop their oracy skills have been mapped out. A coverage map ensures that the strands are woven through the curriculum and purposeful activities are selected to enable children to develop their skills through these. Some examples of these include the following: KS2 performances, Poet Laureate competitions, House Captain Election speeches and celebration assembly public speaking.

Teachers use strategies which develop children’s oracy skills within classroom environments (such as, ‘Say it again, better’ and ‘ABC’.)

Teaching staff set high expectations and model the correct use of oracy and when appropriate, Standard English for our children.

Language structures are used consistently within all curriculum areas to support children to articulate their ideas. Here is an example of the language structures used in upper key stage two:

Listening Ladders are used throughout school to ensure that children understand how to be a good listener.

Continuous professional development has helped our drive to embed oracy across the curriculum and ensure staff are confident to maximise opportunities within their classrooms.