Phonics
Phonics is taught through the Read Write Inc. phonics programmes through Reception and Key Stage 1. Where appropriate for a few children this is also supplemented with a WordsFirst approach.
Reading
Our ambition is that all pupils are enthusiastic, independent readers who can read fluently and for meaning ready for their next of learning in secondary school.
Our aspiration is that our children will enjoy reading with and talking about books with their families and friends as well as escaping into a book on their own. Reading is at the heart of our English curriculum and is an essential gateway for the rest of the curriculum to provide windows on what it is like to live in all parts of the UK, the rest of world, challenging stereotypes and giving the children a rich diverse cultural diet.
Through the school we progressively provide our children challenging fiction and non-fiction texts that develop children’s ‘reader talk’ and skills to aid comprehension for purpose alongside their development of essential decoding skills as early readers. Children begin to learn to read through following the Read Write Inc. Phonics program from Reception. From Year 2 children upwards children will start to use and access the Accelerated Reader program to support their own reading and will have guided reading sessions using CLPE’s Power of Reading materials.
Our philosophy is that it is important to critically read, discuss, appreciate, explore and enjoy texts so children develop the skills necessary to be able to ‘read as a writer’ and ’write as a reader’.
Writing
Our ambition is that all pupils are enthusiastic, independent writers who write stories and poems for the pleasure of others and themselves, and write and communicate clearly and effectively in a range of non-fiction genres to engage, persuade, explain and describe to others both formally and informally. By the end of Year 6 we expect our children to acquire the writing skills needed for their next of learning in secondary school.
Our aspiration is that our children will enjoy writing fiction and non-fiction pieces inspired by our topics and class reading books as well as other pieces created independently. Writing is alongside reading at the heart of our English curriculum and is an important means of communicating aspects of learning from the rest of the curriculum including: what it is like to live in all parts of the UK, the rest of world, challenging stereotypes and giving the children a rich diverse cultural diet.
Through the school we progressively provide our children challenging age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction texts (from CLPE’s power of reading programme) that develop children’s transcription and secretarial writing skills through providing age-appropriate examples of writing skills and techniques from authors to study and learn from. To this end our ambition all children to be able to spell words appropriate for age, and have the skills necessary to spell unknown complicated words, through their knowledge of etymology, dictionaries, thesauruses, and spelling ‘rules’.
Our philosophy is that it is important to critically write about, discuss, appreciate, explore and enjoy texts so children develop the skills necessary to be able to ’write as a reader’ and ‘read as a writer’
Broadwindsor village community came together on Tuesday 15th March to commemorate The Lost Pilot – a Belgian pilot who fatally crashed his aircraft into the side of Lewesdon Hill in 1942. A memorial was unveiled in his honour in the woodland. Our Year 5/6 pupils read poems they had written, and words were spoken by his great niece, Benjamine, together with a representative from the National Trust and Andrew Frampton, local farmer who uncovered this story whilst isolating with Covid. Here are the poems: