We use the English programmes of study for key stages 1 and 2.
English Writing Curriculum Intent Statement
Intent
At Mareham, our English curriculum ensures that knowledge and key skills are taught in a systematic, well-planned and progressive manner.
At Mareham, our whole curriculum is driven by:
We aim to develop our children – physically, socially, mentally, culturally and spiritually – to embrace lifelong learning with a sense of awe and wonder in order to make a positive contribution to the local and wider community. High quality texts, images, films and other writing stimuli play a large role in helping us to achieve this. Our Christian values shape how we behave, what we say, how we build relationships and how we learn. Our English curriculum is designed to help each child to develop a love of reading and writing and independence for learning whilst achieving academically and meeting age-related expectations by the end of their primary education.
We are friendly, inclusive to all and build resilience; encouraging a positive mindset amongst our children as it is often through mistakes that we learn the most. Everyone thrives through feeling safe, confident and valued and the well-being of each and every individual is a priority.
'Live life to the full and create a better future for all.'
Implementation
At Mareham, children are expected to work hard and demonstrate positive learning behaviours to maximise their own individual learning potential. We are committed to working in partnership with parents as we believe that when home and school work closely together we get the best outcomes. Lessons follow clear objectives and teachers check pupils’ understanding and knowledge, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback, responding and adapting their teaching as necessary. Open discussions and questioning are used effectively throughout the curriculum.
English is carefully planned over the long term so that pupils acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to broaden their horizons, become aspirational citizens and succeed in life.
Children are taught spelling strategies using the Spelling Shed scheme of work. This is a progressive and consistent approach that teaches children how to spell words, as well as the National Curriculum required rules and patterns.
Key vocabulary is carefully chosen across all subjects. This is displayed in classrooms and shared at the start of all lessons. Children are encouraged to use the key vocabulary to talk ‘like an expert’ in that subject.
Writing is inspired by our topics across school and supported by the use of high-quality texts and visual literacy. Children write for a range of audiences and purposes and we strive to provide meaningful writing opportunities.
Handwriting is taught across all classes and interventions are in place for those children who need additional support.
Impact
As a Year 6 reader transitioning into secondary school, we aspire that pupils are fluent, confident and able writers, who can write in a range of texts for pleasure, enjoyment and to inform as well as using their writing skills to unlock future learning and all areas of the curriculum. We want children to see the wonders of writing and for this to take them on a journey beyond their locality and to recognise and embrace the beauty of other cultures and places. Children will know more, remember more and understand more. Children will retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning.
As a Year 6 writer transitioning into secondary school, we aspire that pupils not only achieve the age-appropriate standard at the end of Key Stage 2, but are also enabled to:
Grammar and Punctuation progression