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Green Oaks Federation

English

At Green Oaks, we believe that children learn best through a connected curriculum where they are able to build curriculum knowledge through a precisely planned sequence of learning steps.  The different aspects of English are delivered as follows:
  • Phonics (Little Wandle SSP KS1)
  • Spelling & Grammar (Spelling Shed KS2)
  • Guided Reading/Reading Practice
  • Writing
  • Handwriting

Our English curriculum is taught alongside our thematic approach to learning and enables children to develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed to communicate effectively in a globalised society.  Links are made across our themes of Environment & Sustainability and Identity & Diversity to provide further opportunity for children to relate learning to real and relevant contexts.

We follow the Hampshire Learning Journey model to plan and teach English and offer rich texts for children to explore throughout their ​time at Green Oaks.
By the end of Key Stage 2, our aim for the English curriculum is for pupils to have developed high standards of both spoken and written literacy, with a strong command of oracy practices and a passion for widespread reading.  By following the National Curriculum, we ensure that children can:
  • read easily, fluently and with good understanding
  • develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
  • acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
  • appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
  • write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
  • use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
  • are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

 

Each English journey leads to a written outcome with a specific audience and form.  These are varied across the year to provide pupils with the opportunities to write for a range of purposes.  At Key Stage 1, pupils write to describe, to entertain and to inform.  At Key Stage 2, pupils refine the knowledge and skills needed to write for these purposes, as well as writing to persuade. 

Feedback is provided in line with our Feedback & Marking Policy to include oral feedback; peer and self-reflection; teacher marking, and specific editing lessons. Teachers take part in termly moderation, both internally and externally, to support their teacher assessment and make accurate judgements relating to pupil progress.

Phonics

From Reception to Year 2 we teach phonics through ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised’.  Right from the start of Reception children have a daily phonics lesson following the progression outlined by the programme to ensure children become fluent readers.
  • Reception: are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy
  • Year 1: review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy

  • Year 2: review Phase 5 and then spelling units

  • Years 3 - 6: planned phonics catch up sessions for specific 

We teach phonics for 30 minutes every day.  The phonic progression with Little Wandle identifies the grapheme phoneme correspondences (GPCs) and tricky words taught every week.  A new sound is taught on four days of the week, with a review of the sounds taught for the week on the fifth day.  Further catch-up sessions and small group interventions are included to further support pupils to secure new learning.

Please here to view our Phonics Policy.

For support with the pronunciation of the phonemes taught, please refer to the videos below:

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

 

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