Springwell Communicator

Springwell School The Springwell Communicator

Intent

Reading:

At the heart of our reading provision is the understanding that children deserve the opportunity to develop a love of reading. Text quality is highly valued and our discerning readers develop the ability to discuss their own likes, dislikes, genre preferences and requests for reading material. Students will develop the skills required to read for both pleasure and information. (Although the two are not mutually exclusive.) This leads them to be able to critique texts for devices, function and form, making our students aware of text purpose. This equips them with the ability to identify bias, prejudice and inferred meanings which prepares them for the demands of mature reading. Furthermore, we ensure that our diverse population have access to books which mirror their individual cultural backgrounds. Being able to see themselves represented in the books they read enables them to set themselves up as the heroes of their own stories.

Writing:

At Springwell School we view writing as a medium through which to structure thinking, a communication tool and an outlet for creativity. We equip our writers with the ability to choose the most appropriate structure, content and word choices to meet the needs of their audience/ reader. They draw from a wide range of reading material to make informed choices regarding form, function and vocabulary. They can critically evaluate their own writing and make improvements where necessary. They have a well-established voice, and are able to present themselves through the written word.

Reading

At Springwell, we understand the fundamental role which reading has across the curriculum. Our well-stocked libraries and class selections, as well as, carefully selected core texts introduce children to a range of high quality reading material. Pupils begin by learning how to decode texts through a rigorous phonics programme based of the Twinkl phonics approach. Fluency is supported all though the school and pupils in all year groups have access to the right book to suit their needs. This might include ‘Project X Code’ books or appropriately colour banded books. This will then develop to comprehension and development of more enhanced reading skills, which can be applied across the curriculum. Moving through the school we move to guided reading, firstly in small groups and then whole class by the Spring of Year 2. We believe that whole class reading enables children to feel included and part of the buzz that is created through shared reading. We also use these reading sessions to develop questioning, presentation of information and oracy. Also, we know that reading teachers impart enthusiasm on reading students so staff regularly share their favourite books with the children.

Writing

We adopt an approach which suits the writing needs of our diverse school community. We merge aspects of the Talk for Writing Scheme with text based learning to create a programme which fosters both, language progression and a link between reading and writing. Each year, the children build on their acquired skills, gaining in accuracy and confidence. As the children develop their writing skills, the revisit genres with greater mastery. We support their development of transcription elements from EYFS and the first stages of mark-making up to well-formed handwriting. We teach spellings weekly and additional subject centred vocabulary explicitly.

Curriculum Coverage

The curriculum follows a progression of skills throughout the children’s time at Springwell.

Over the next few pages you will find the progression of skills for reading, writing and phonics within Springwell.

Phonics

Curriculum Coverage Reading

Curriculum Coverage Reading

Curriculum Coverage Reading

Curriculum Coverage Reading

A Springwell Communicator (Impact)

A Springwell Communicator uses their skills in English to master the whole curriculum. They have a secure grasp of both reading and writing. As writers, they carefully consider the purpose for their writing, including genre and audience. They can edit and redraft their work independently. They use a wide range of vocabulary and are able to become inspired by their own reading. They are proud of their work and their presentation demonstrates this. The Springwell Scholar uses the Talk for Writing strategies to structure and improve their writing, with greater independence as they progress through the school. As readers, the Springwell scholar reads for pleasure. They know how to identify a book, which is at a good challenge level. They can decode tricky or unfamiliar words and use context clues to construct meaning. The Springwell scholar can be found reading at break and lunch times, enjoying our well-stocked libraries, or sharing books and making recommendations to their classmates.

Assessment

Children are assessed by the professionals working with them throughout each lesson. This allows ongoing assessments to be made while delivering high quality, effective feedback either in written or verbal form. The children are given the opportunity at the start of each lesson to respond to the feedback and address any next steps they may have.

Other forms of assessment:

• Termly written assessments

• Termly comprehension tests

• Termly SPaG tests

• KS2 SATS

• Weekly spelling tests

• Grammar starters at the beginning of lessons.