This policy aims to ensure that all children at St Barnabas CE Primary School are offered a broad and balanced curriculum in language and literature so that they can, as speakers, listeners and writers:
- take pleasure in all aspects of Literacy;
- read and write with confidence, fluency and understanding developing independent strategies to self-monitor and correct;
- develop the powers of imagination.
National Curriculum Aims
“A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know.” (National Curriculum in England: English Programmes of Study, 2014)
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception) children are given opportunities to:
- speak, listen and represent ideas in their activities;
- use communication, language and Literacy in every part of the curriculum;
- listen to and read a range of texts;
- become immersed in an environment rich in print and possibilities for communication, where mark making opportunities are widely available.
- Develop their phonological awareness through the scheme ‘Letters and Sounds’.
At Key Stage One (Years 1 and 2):
Children learn to speak confidently and listen to what others have to say. They continue to read and write independently and with enthusiasm. They have opportunities to use language to explore their own experiences and imaginary worlds. They continue with the ‘Letters and Sounds’ programme as well as developing a love of reading through exciting texts.
At Key Stage Two (Years 3 – 6):
Children learn to change the way they speak and write to suit different purposes and audiences. They read a range of texts and respond to different layers of meaning in them. They have the opportunity to explore the use of language in literary and non-literary texts and learn how the structure of language works.