English Statement

At Robert Kett Primary School, we understand the importance of all aspects of English. We aim to ensure every single child becomes primary literate and progresses in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening.  

English is taught both discretely and across the curriculum, with Speaking & Listening being core to all learning opportunities. Children will have opportunities to speak, read and write every day, through a wide range of opportunities. 

A gaps analysis of both reading and GPS will be conducted and, along with the use of the writing standards sheets, personalised English lessons will be planned and taught which focus on the particular needs of their class as well as individuals.  We monitor every child’s progress within their current academic year and from their last statutory test with the aim that every child can celebrate success. 

At Robert Kett, we aim to deliver high standards of English across the curriculum, not just in our daily discrete lessons. As a school, we base our learning on a broad and balanced curriculum in which English is at the heart.

Early Years: Read, Write Inc

Read Write Inc., developed by Ruth Miskin, provides a structured and systematic approach to teaching phonics, the building blocks of reading and writing. Children start in Reception, learning the sounds letters make, and how to blend sounds to build words. Read, Write Inc is designed to create fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers.

For more information, please see Ruth Miskin – Parents.

Reading

At Robert Kett, we celebrate reading in many ways.  

Whilst children develop their reading skills, they follow a reading scheme, where books are banded according to the Oxford Reading Tree scheme. Once we feel the children are confident and fluent readers, the children are invited to select their own reading book.  Of course, we like children to choose their own books, at whatever their stage of reading, and so encourage children to select a book which they read purely for their pleasure.

In class, we teach reading using the ‘whole class reading’ approach. This is where small sections of texts are explored, debated and questioned in detail.  We pose questions that encourage children to both infer and to ponder a theme within the text.  

Writing Tick Sheets

At Robert Kett, in KS1 and KS2, we use writing tick sheets to ensure progression of skills in English writing.  These outline the English objectives taught in each year group. Teachers use these sheets to assess what children are able to do within their writing – and to ensure that their teaching assessments are robust and accurate.

Please click on the tile to see each tick-sheet:

Some useful glossary of terms to support parents’ understanding of the national curriculum:

https://www.theschoolrun.com/primary-literacy-glossary-for-parents

https://www.theschoolrun.com/primary-grammar-glossary-for-parents