English


Intent
At Golborne St Thomas’, our primary focus is on providing children with a rich and comprehensive English curriculum that emphasises reading and books. We offer a diverse range of opportunities for children to become fluent, enthusiastic, and confident readers and writers. Our main objective is to instil in children a love for reading, enabling them to derive pleasure from it and to share their passion for reading with others. We are dedicated to creating reading opportunities throughout the curriculum and acknowledging reading achievements. By utilising quality texts, we aim to introduce children to a wide-ranging and culturally diverse vocabulary.
At Golborne St Thomas’, we ensure that children have the opportunity to engage in writing across various genres, with specific purposes and audiences in mind. We aim for children to enhance and refine their writing skills through effective planning and editing. Our goal is for pupils to develop a strong grasp of grammar, an extensive
vocabulary, and the confidence to spell new words accurately. We aim for our students to take pride in their written work and to be willing to share their writing with a broader audience.
Implementation
At Golborne St Thomas’ School, reading, writing, and SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar) are predominantly taught during English lessons. However, there are also opportunities for children to apply these skills within the broader curriculum. We implement a Novel Curriculum at St Thomas’ School, introducing children to a wide range of literature and providing contexts for purposeful writing and authentic cross-curricular links.
Children at Golborne St Thomas’ are taught reading through a meticulously structured synthetic phonics programme and comprehension lessons that focus on reading skills. They have opportunities to read independently or be read to by an adult. Early reading is taught using Phonics following the Sounds-Write programme, which is multi-sensory and code-oriented.
Writing skills are developed by using a model example, exploring the genre’s features, focusing on grammatical structures and punctuation, engaging in shared writing activities, and then creating their own independent pieces. Children also have opportunities to edit their work. We use high-quality texts, as well as experiences, films, and clips, to inspire writing. Children can also use iPads to support their writing and share their finished work with an audience.
Impact
At Golborne St Thomas’, our children make clear progress in Reading, Writing and SPAG. Through our focus on developing strong literacy skills, students demonstrate improved reading fluency, comprehension, and critical analysis. Children are able to articulate their thoughts and ideas with clarity and coherence, both verbally and in writing. Using Sounds-Write throughout EYFS and KS1 provides children with a secure foundation for reading and writing skills. Our writing curriculum provides opportunities for children to explore different cultures and provides opportunities for discussion. Teachers use assessment as an integral part of the teaching and learning process.