English

Reading

We firmly believe that reading opens up new worlds; opening up the door to endless possibilities.  We are therefore passionate and committed to enabling our children to become confident and fluent readers.  As well as this we are committed to developing children's comprehension knowledge and skills in understanding the impact an author has on their readers.  Reading is always a high priority at Palace Fields and we continually review and reflect on our reading provision.  

We have a reading spine stating the key texts which children will be exposed to across the school.  From this spine all classes will have texts that the teacher reads to them as part of our "Story Time" sessions. 

Phonics

Phonics is taught daily from EYFS following Read Write Inc.  These phonic sessions are normally delivered in small groups across EYFS - Year 2 organised according to individual phonic assessments. All our teaching staff are trained in Read Write Inc including a group who are trained in "Fast Track Tutoring" for children who may need extra support by having Read Write Inc phonics broken down into small, incremental steps.  Our phonics lead works closely with a Read Write Inc consultant to ensure that we are continually developing our phonics approach.

Guided Reading

Across KS2 we have a whole class guided reading approach; texts are selected from a range of genres and subject matters.    This enables children to experience a range of extracts from different topics not only developing their reading comprehension but also their wider knowledge and understanding across the curriculum.   

Reading practice

Across the school all children are encouraged to read regularly and they all are given an appropriate individual reading book for their ability.  For children following Read Write Inc we use  "Read Write Inc Book Bag books" matched to their phonic attainment.  We ask that children read at home at least three times a week, but we encourage that they read every night. 

In school our team of reading assistants also support children in EYFS/KS1 to develop their reading fluency as well as providing support to children not yet reading at the expected standard in KS2. 

Enjoyment of reading

Alongside developing the skills of reading we also want our children to appreciate an enjoyment in reading.  We seek pupil voice regularly to identify the best ways to engage our children in this and continually reflect on what reading materials we have available.    

All classrooms have class reading areas with subject specific books and other age-appropriate reading and we have a school library that children visit regularly to choose books for their enjoyment.  

 

Writing

Ready Steady Write

In September 2023 we introduced Ready Steady Write at Palace Fields; building on our previous curriculum and approach. Children from Reception to Year 6 have a daily Ready Steady Write lesson. 

Spelling

To ensure clear progression from RWI phonics, children from Year 2 follow RWI spelling for a daily session. RWI spelling includes all the spelling requirements of the National Curriculum Years 2 - 6 and revised spelling taught in Year 1.

Handwriting

We use Letter-Join’s on-line handwriting resource as the basis of our handwriting policy as it covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum.

Handwriting is a basic skill that influences the quality of work throughout the curriculum. By the end of Key Stage 2 all pupils should have the ability to produce fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy joined-up handwriting, and to understand the different forms of handwriting used for different purposes.

Our intention is to make handwriting an automatic process that does not interfere with creative and mental thinking.