Intention

Our mission is to equip pupils for their future by building strong foundations in English through a broad and ambitious Right’s Based Curriculum. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. We ensure all pupils are given the opportunity to succeed in Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening.  The teaching and learning of English is coherently planned and rich in vocabulary, skills and knowledge which scaffolds pupils’ future learning and achievement as a member of society. 

In Nursery children begin the robust, sequenced phonics programme. We aim to develop a love of reading for pleasure as well as for information. We immerse  pupils in a range of engaging texts, genres and exciting, enriching language and wide vocabulary experiences.  We want all pupils to be able to read fluently with confidence across all subjects with a good understanding. 

The National Curriculum underpins our aims to nurture imagination, while promoting communication and social skills through a focus on drama and oracy together with a strong emphasis on vocabulary.  This leads to fluent transcription and effective composition.

Implementation

Effective provision starts in the Early Years, tackling pupils’ low starting points in Literacy and Language. Teachers have frequent professional development to continuously build and strengthen current and effective teaching strategies. 

• Pupils are introduced to a plethora of high quality model topic texts. Daily protected shared reading sessions develops competence in both word reading and comprehension.
• Bold starts in early reading through Read Write Inc and the pupils transition into Year 1 through the continuation of the programme. 
• Instilling positive habits from an early age, each early reader reads books that match the grapheme-phoneme correspondence taught. ‘Book Bag’ books match the sounds taught in class and are taken home for additional practice. 
• Staff foster a love for reading with enthusiasm and passion, inclusive of but not limited to: reading cafes, competitions, library visits, reading workshops and class libraries.
• From Year 2 to Year 6 pupils follow the Star Writing three-week cycle programme which takes a cross-curricular approach. With a focus on vocabulary, oracy, performance and purpose for writing, pupils develop their writing voice through the explicit exploration of the writing process. 
• Pupils are given opportunities to perform, debate, discuss and clearly present their understanding and ideas, such as speech making, performance poetry, Shakespeare plays, debate competitions. 
• Nelson Grammar, Nelson Handwriting  and RWI Spelling are taught explicitly as well as being embedded throughout our Star Writing cycle.

Impact

Throughout their time at Star, pupils will develop their English skills and knowledge resulting in learners making excellent progress against attainment. Pupils are able to clearly, accurately and coherently articulate purpose and intentions in writing. Children learn a range of writing styles while being encouraged to write creatively and independently. Pupils are confident readers and enjoy reading  a breadth of texts for knowledge and pleasure. Learners are fully prepared for the next stage of their education as a result of our rich, progressive curriculum. By the time they leave Star, pupils will be able to confidently take their writing and reading skills into KS3 and continue to appreciate their literary heritage.

Enrichment

Pupils at Star Primary are given many enrichment opportunities as part of the wider English curriculum.  

Participating in World Book Day, pupils bring their favourite characters to life and make and wear their own costumes. Pupils also  take part in character competitions. Star pupils have opportunities throughout the year to meet real-life authors during workshops. Pupils attend poetry retreats, work with published poets and find inspiration for writing beyond the school environment. Pupils are able to see their poems published in a whole school anthology. Working closely with local libraries, pupils are given opportunities to attend writing competitions and illustrator workshops. Pupil’s debating skills are also exercised and  tested during a ‘Debate Mate’ competition. ‘Masked Reader’ competitions,  alongside regular reading cafes, book swaps and a twice yearly book fair enthuse and inspire our pupils. All of the educational visits are chosen purposefully to link with the topic and inspire independent writing. Theatre companies bring the drama to our pupils, showcasing scenes from famous plays and drawing pupils into interactive workshops.