English
Our vision of We Believe, We Nurture and We Succeed for English prepares our children for the wider world as well as instilling enjoyment in learning to read and write from the moment they join Barkisland. Our curriculum nurtures our children and instils confidence in them to believe they can succeed across the curriculum. Through our curriculum we have high expectations of our children and encourage and nurture them to believe in themselves by actively praising and nurturing their efforts. The teachers plan lessons and experiences for the children so that they can be successful and all children are nurtured according to their needs with lessons adapted accordingly. The English curriculum builds upon previous learning helping to children to become success learners.
Our English Curriculum is mainly text led with links made across the Curriculum. In September 2021, we redesigned our English curriculum, with a company named Grammarsaurus, who helped us to make the link between text types, grammar and spelling more fluid and meaningful. From this, we developed Barkisland’s writing and spelling journeys.
In our EYFS Unit, we follow the Development Matters Curriculum. Children develop their skills throughout the year to aim to achieve the Early Learning Goals.
Through our approach using model texts written specifically for our school, we are able to make links across the curriculum:
Year 1: Letters and postcards with Victorians
Year 2: Explanation texts links with Science
Year 3: Instructions on How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth links with Stone Age Topic.
Year 4: Non-chronological reports linked with Ancient Egyptians
Year 5: Explanation texts linked to the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons
Year 6: Diary of Anne Frank linked with World War 2 topic
There are extensive opportunities for speaking and listening through debates in RE, presentations in PSHCE, collaborative work in Maths and DT, discussions in Art, to name but a few. By providing children with these daily opportunities we are supporting the development of: interpersonal skills; helping children build resilience; showing them that they are creative and critical thinkers; exposing them to the diversity in our community and beyond; enabling success and preparing them for future learning; capturing their imagination and interests; inspiring them to want to know more; push them outside of their comfort zone and challenge others or be prepared to be challenged; teach them how to keep themselves safe and healthy and those around them also.
To find out more about how we teach the different elements of English at Barkisland, please look at the sub pages within English. You will find a wealth of information about phonics, reading, writing, spelling, grammar and handwriting.
