English

ENGLISH READING

“English is the language of the future, the most important tool you’ll ever need, no matter what career you choose. You have the right to English. Make it your right!” (Benjamin Zephaniah) 

The Vision

We aim for all pupils at Pakeman to develop the ability to communicate clearly through speaking, reading and writing, a love and curiosity for language and literature, paving the way for them to have an enjoyable and successful school experience and prepare them well for later life.

1) Speaking and Listening

‘Speaking and Listening’ is the ability to be able to communicate effectively. Almost everything we do involves speech, language and/or communication. Everyday tasks, learning, sorting out problems, having a conversation, getting a job, making friends and having fun all rely on our ability to communicate.
At Pakeman, we support children to become more confident communicators through:

• Discussion and debate
• Performing and presenting for an audience
• Expressing and articulating feelings, opinions and ideas
• Modelling correct spoken language
• Expanding vocabulary

Children will be taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English. They will learn to justify ideas with reasons; ask questions to check understanding; develop vocabulary and build knowledge; negotiate; evaluate and build on the ideas of others; and select the appropriate register for effective communication. They will be taught to give well-structured descriptions and explanations and develop their understanding through exploring ideas. This will enable them to clarify their thinking as well as organise their ideas for writing.

2) Reading

The ability to read and understand written information to a high standard is an essential skill in life. At Pakeman, our aim is not only for all children to develop the key skills they need but to foster a love and passion for language and literature and encourage imagination, curiosity and new interests and outlooks. We support children to:

• Become fluent, independent and reflective readers
• Read a wide variety of genres
• Develop a broad range of reading skills
• Use texts to broaden vocabulary
• Early Years Foundation Stage

Opportunities for reading in the Foundation Stage are incorporated into the child’s day according to the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). “Six Stories Shared” is a fantastic initiative that introduces our youngest readers to six stories each year. They are immersed in the stories through activities, art and drama and they respond to the book in their class book which they can look back on throughout the year.

Phonics

Phonics is the systematic teaching of the sounds, or ‘phonemes’, that accompany the written letters (‘graphemes’) in English. It is designed to teach children to become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2. All children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 have daily phonics sessions where they are introduced to new sounds and practise the sounds that they are familiar with. At Pakeman, we use ‘Essential Letters and Sounds’, a systematic synthetic phonics programme. Phonics support and small group teaching is provided for children in Key Stage 2  who need more time to become confident and fluent readers.

Year 1 phonics screening check

At the end of Year 1, children will undertake a statutory phonics screening check. This is a short assessment to make sure that children have learnt phonics to an appropriate standard. There are 40 words in the screening check which children are asked to read on a one-to-one basis with their teacher. The check is made up of ‘real words’ (eg. ‘mud’) and ‘non-words’ (eg. ‘splog’) and children need to apply their phonic knowledge to read all words. Preparation for the check takes place during the daily phonics session, but parents/carers can help children by practising phonics on a regular basis.
For more information on the phonics screening check for Year 1 children, please click here.

Click here to see our phonics programme – Essential Letters and Sounds
and ‘how to help at home’

Daily Supported Reading and Big Read

Daily Supported Reading is taught 4 days a week in key stage 1 in 9 small groups. This explicitly addresses the skills children need to become successful readers. In the sessions, children are taught the decoding of words and the skills needed for fluent and expressive reading.
From Year 2 to 6 children take part in whole class reading sessions, which we refer to as Big Read. These sessions provide children with opportunities to independently read a variety of challenging texts and further develop and practise the full range of reading comprehension skills.

The Power of Reading

We teach English daily as a discrete subject from Year 1 to Year 6, following the National Curriculum, with opportunities for Literacy in the Foundation Stage being incorporated into the child’s day according to the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Through the Power of Reading, we use high quality texts and creative teaching approaches to engage and motivate children in their literacy learning, to support children in deepening their understanding of texts and provide them with a meaningful context for writing.

Additional Reading Support

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that children develop the necessary reading skills within a whole class context, it is sometimes necessary for children to be provided with additional support. In reading, this support is provided through:

• Voluntary readers – Beanstalk and Bookmark
• Tutor-mate – online reading sessions
• 1:1 and small group reading interventions
• Action Tutoring (years 5 and 6)
• Reading Resources

We believe that the development of reading is enhanced by the provision of high-quality reading materials. At Pakeman, we ensure that there is a broad and rich range of books available for all children in classes, in our library and for home reading.

Home Reading

Home reading is an essential part of children’s reading development. Children are encouraged to read at home every day and we provide high quality, exciting texts to inspire a love of reading and to engage parents/ carers in children’s learning. Home reading is carefully monitored with personal reading records. Gaps in home reading are addressed through parent/ carer discussion and additional reading intervention.

How to Help at Home

Reading with your child

1. Choose the right book using the “five-finger rule”
Ask your child to open the book at any page around the middle of it and read that page. Each time a word is not known, a finger should be raised. If five fingers are raised before the child finishes reading the page, the book is too hard. If no fingers are raised, the book is probably easy for your child but can be used to build reading fluency. If two or three fingers are held up, the book is likely to be at a good level for your child’s reading to improve.

2. Use phonics to read new words
Ask your child to sound out an unknown word. Look at the letters in a difficult word and ask your child to pronounce each sound or phoneme. Then, see if your child can blend the sounds together to pronounce the word. Offer help to memorize irregular words. Explain that words like where, hour, or sign are hard to sound out since they don’t follow normal sound patterns.

3. Use the story to help your child learn
Ask your child what word or idea would make sense in the plot of the story if they get stuck on an unfamiliar word. Encourage your child to look at illustrations, pictures, titles, or graphs to figure out the meaning of new words.

4. Give support and encouragement
Challenge your child to figure out new words, but always supply the word before they become frustrated.
After your child has read a story, reread it aloud yourself so that they can enjoy it without interruption.

5. Be a good role model
Let your child see you reading, and share your excitement when you enjoy a great book of your own.

6. Make reading a priority
It helps to set aside a specific time for reading for example 10 minutes every night before bed.

7. Create the right atmosphere
Find a quiet comfortable place to listen to your child read.

8. Make reading fun
Play around with funny voices to impersonate animals or unusual characters in stories. Take children to the library to enjoy a selection of books.

9. Keep reading aloud to your child
This is so enjoyable and beneficial for your child at every age!

10. Introduce new books
The library can help with this. They update their book displays regularly and offer Summer and Winter Reading Challenges to encourage children to try new books.

Recommended Books

2+ and Nursery Recommended Books 2+ and Nur

Reception Recommended Books Reception-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024
Year 1 Recommended BooksYear-1-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024
Year 2 Recommended Books Year-2-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024
Year 3 Recommended Books Year-3-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024
Year 4 Recommended Books Year-4-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024
Year 5 Recommended Books Year-5-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024
Year 6 Recommended Books Year-6-Recommended-Reads-Poster-2024

Reading for pleasure

We provide opportunities across our curriculum to develop enthusiastic, confident and motivated readers who enjoy reading.

• Book corners – Book corners are valued by children and teachers. They are well-stocked, with a range of authors and genres.
• School library – Our library is an integral part of the learning environment and is central to the life of the school. It is a safe, stimulating and well-maintained environment which helps support teaching and learning and assists in our aim to raise achievement. We aim for our library to encourage a real love of reading to develop readers for life.  Our pupils do a fantastic job as library monitors. The books in our school library are kept up-to-date and relevant and relate to the topics studied in class. We are continually looking for new and exciting books to add to our collection.
• Book fairs – We welcome book fairs to the school. Children are regularly given the opportunity to choose books for themselves or their classrooms.
• Story time – All year groups have a daily story time with a range of texts to enjoy together.
• The Islington Reading Road Map – Every year we participate in The Reading Road Map run by Islington Library Services – a reading challenge which aims to widen children’s knowledge of authors and quality texts across a range of genres. The texts are chosen to have a level of high engagement. The children are rewarded with certificates and stickers.
• Visiting authors and workshops – We regularly invite authors, poets or reading workshop to the school for the children to learn from their expertise and enthusiasm.
• World Book Day – We celebrate World Book Day every year. We encourage the children and staff to dress as their favourite literary character, as well as taking part in a range of reading-focused activities, designed to encourage reading for pleasure.

Cross curricular literacy

We believe that fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects and our aim is ensure that all children can apply, practise and consolidate language and literacy skills in other subjects in a purposeful way.

Children’s command of vocabulary is key to their learning and progress across the whole curriculum. Teachers will therefore develop vocabulary actively, building systematically on children’s current knowledge. We believe it is particularly important to introduce children to subject specific language, such as accurate mathematical and scientific vocabulary.

Working with Others and Broadening Experiences
Throughout the school year, we run a range of literacy events to promote reading, writing and speaking across the school. These include: World Book Day, Book Fairs, Bring a Parent to School Events and Stay and Read sessions, as well as a range of performances.  These events help to promote happiness and well-being, the development of key skills and enable us to work in partnerships with others. Please check the school calendar for any upcoming events.

As part of our work with other local schools, KS2 children take part in collaborative reading and writing projects, such as Writing through Film, Writing through Art and a Poetry Competition. We regularly work in partnership with other experts and organisations to enhance our literacy provision. For example,  the 11 x 11 project which aims to increase children’s cultural experiences, our Shakespeare workshops with The Young Shakespeare Company, storytelling experiences, visits to local theatres and performances in school and a range of projects around ‘Bringing Literacy to Life”.

 

ENGLISH WRITING

 

The Vision

 

At Pakeman, we believe that writing is a powerful tool for self-expression, creativity, and lifelong learning. Our vision is to inspire every child to become a confident and skilled writer, equipping them with the tools to communicate effectively across all subjects and in all aspects of life. We aim to create a nurturing environment where each child’s voice is valued, and their ideas are given the freedom to grow. Through a rich and diverse curriculum, we foster a love for writing that encourages curiosity, imagination, and a sense of purpose.

We are committed to helping our students develop essential writing skills—such as structure, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation—while also encouraging them to experiment with different genres, styles, and perspectives. Whether composing stories, writing persuasive texts, or engaging in reflective writing, we seek to instil confidence and pride in every piece of writing they produce.

By working closely with families and the wider community, we strive to create a collaborative approach to writing that supports and celebrates each child’s journey. Ultimately, our goal is for every student to leave our school with the ability to express themselves clearly, creatively, and confidently, prepared to take on the challenges and opportunities of the future.

 

Curriculum Coverage

 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In Reception, children begin to develop basic writing skills, starting with mark-making and understanding that writing carries meaning. They begin to form letters correctly and write simple words using their phonetic knowledge. They practise writing simple sentences, often with adult support, using capital letters and full stops. By the end of the Reception year, children are expected to write short sentences independently, using a combination of phonetic spelling and sight words.

 

Key Stage 1

Year 1

In Year 1, the focus is on writing simple sentences with correct punctuation, using capital letters, full stops, and spaces between words. Children use their phonics knowledge to spell simple words correctly and attempt more challenging words using their developing understanding of letter-sound relationships. They begin to write for different purposes, such as stories, labels, and lists. Pupils are also encouraged to use simple conjunctions (e.g., “and”, “because”) to join ideas.

Year 2

In Year 2, students extend their writing by developing longer sentences and using a wider range of punctuation, including commas, exclamation marks, and question marks. They begin to write in paragraphs and use adjectives, adverbs, and expanded noun phrases to add detail to their writing. They are also taught to use basic tenses correctly and to spell more complex words, including common irregular words. Pupils start writing in different genres, such as recounts, simple descriptions, and non-fiction pieces like instructions and explanations.

Key Stage 2

Year 3

In Year 3, children focus on using paragraphs to organise their writing, ensuring that each paragraph contains related ideas. They expand their sentence structures by using a variety of conjunctions (e.g., “because”, “when”, “if”) and start using direct speech with the correct punctuation. Pupils begin to use more descriptive vocabulary and experiment with different sentence starters to add variety to their writing. They also refine their handwriting and are expected to spell words with prefixes and suffixes correctly.

Year 4

In Year 4, pupils consolidate their use of paragraphs and begin to experiment with different sentence types, such as complex sentences (using subordinating conjunctions like “although”, “while”). They continue to develop their use of punctuation, including inverted commas for direct speech and apostrophes for possession. Pupils are also encouraged to use a wider range of adjectives, adverbs, and other descriptive language to enhance their writing. They write for a variety of purposes, including narratives, instructions, and persuasive texts. Spelling becomes more advanced, and pupils learn how to spell words with more complex letter patterns.

Year 5

In Year 5, children focus on improving their use of varied sentence structures, including fronted adverbials (e.g., “On the hill, the wind howled”) and more complex punctuation like colons, semi-colons, and dashes. They work on using a rich and varied vocabulary, making deliberate choices about words and phrases for effect. Pupils are expected to write for different audiences and purposes, including persuasive writing, narrative, explanation, and formal letters. They also refine their understanding of grammar, using clauses, phrases, and appropriate verb tenses in their writing. Spelling rules continue to be developed, with attention to homophones, silent letters, and common exceptions.

Year 6

In Year 6, students are expected to write with increasing fluency and accuracy. They use a wide range of sentence types, including complex sentences with multiple clauses, and continue to refine their use of punctuation, such as colons, semi-colons, and dashes, for effect. Pupils write for a variety of genres, including formal reports, balanced arguments, and creative narratives, paying attention to audience and purpose. They are encouraged to revise and edit their work to improve structure, grammar, and clarity. Spelling and handwriting are expected to be accurate, with students correctly using more advanced spelling patterns and formal vocabulary. Pupils also learn to self-assess their writing for coherence and effectiveness, preparing them for the transition to secondary school.

Throughout all year groups, the curriculum places an emphasis on developing children’s handwriting, spelling, and grammar. By the end of Year 6, pupils should be able to write clearly, accurately, and with increasing sophistication, using a variety of sentence structures, punctuation, and vocabulary appropriate for different contexts and audiences.

 

How To Help At Home

Supporting your child’s writing development at home can be both enjoyable and impactful! Here are some additional ways you can help your child strengthen their writing skills:

• Write Together: Set aside time for shared writing activities, such as creating a storybook together, writing letters to family members, or even crafting a short poem. This not only improves their writing but also helps foster a sense of teamwork.
• Create a Writing Routine: Encourage your child to write regularly by keeping a daily or weekly journal. You can also suggest they write about specific topics, like their favourite animals, an adventure they imagined, or what they learned at school that day.
• Incorporate Writing into Daily Activities: Help your child write grocery lists, make a “to-do” list, or write a recipe for a meal you prepare together. These practical writing activities can show them the value of writing in everyday life.
• Use Writing Prompts: Sometimes, children need a little inspiration. You can provide them with fun writing prompts such as “If I could be any animal, I would be a…” or “Describe your perfect day.” This sparks their creativity and helps them think critically.
• Play Word Games: Engage in games like “Scrabble,” “Boggle,” or “Hangman” to build their vocabulary. You could also create your own word challenges where your child has to use new words in a sentence or story.
• Read Together and Discuss: Regular reading helps improve writing skills. After reading a story, ask your child what they liked about the characters, setting, or plot. This can inspire them to write their own stories or to explore new ways of structuring their writing.
• Encourage Editing: Teach your child to review and edit their work. Ask them to check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. This not only improves their writing skills but also helps them learn the importance of refining their work.
• Celebrate Writing Successes: Display their work proudly around the house, whether it’s on the fridge or in a special “writing gallery.” Positive reinforcement makes writing a fun and rewarding activity. Praise their creativity, effort, and improvements, not just the final product.
• Use Technology: If your child enjoys using computers, there are plenty of interactive writing tools and apps designed to help children improve their writing skills. Websites like “My Storybook” or “Book Creator” offer digital platforms for children to create and publish their own stories.
• Involve the Family: Encourage your child to write thank-you cards, holiday cards, or invitations to family events. This can help them practise writing in different styles and for various audiences.
• By incorporating writing into your child’s daily life and making it fun, you help them build confidence and a genuine love for writing. Remember, every small effort counts in helping your child develop their skills and imagination!