English

Curriculum Intent Statement - ENGLISH

Fluency in English is vital.

Through reading and writing, our children have the chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

We aim to provide a high-quality education in English which will teach our children to speak, read and write fluently.  By so doing, they will be able to communicate their ideas and emotions to others and others will be able to communicate with them.  Because English is a medium for teaching as well as a discrete discipline, we aim to develop our children’s reading, writing, speaking and listening in all subjects.

Reading

We want our children to:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding;
• appreciate that confident reading comes from sustained effort and practice;
• know that learning to read confidently will help them in many areas of their learning and in many areas of their lives;
• develop a wide vocabulary that will help them communicate effectively;
• enjoy reading and appreciate the richness and variety of literature.

Writing

We want our children to:

• develop the stamina to write at length;
• use what they have read and heard to inform and inspire their own writing;
• write a range of text types by adapting language and style;
• know how to edit and improve their writing;
• understand the correct use of grammar and apply it in their writing;
• communicate confidently to a variety of audiences;
• spell and punctuate accurately.

Speaking and Listening

We want our children to:

• be focused and engaged listeners;
• understand the value of listening carefully;
• speak clearly and confidently choosing the appropriate tone and formality for the context;
• ask questions to further their understanding and participate in discussion and debate;
• structure their speech to describe, explain and explore ideas;
• prepare and perform poetry and plays for an audience.