This page shares with you how we teach English in school, as per the National Curriculum guidance below.

English is made up of: 

• Reading
• Writing
• Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

We use various schemes and methods to teach there elements, of which are outlined below.

Teaching Writing In School

In school, when pupils have finished Read Write Inc. in Reception and Year 1, we follow a mastery approach to English through the programme ‘Pathways to Write.’ Units of work are delivered using high quality texts and children in all year groups are given varied opportunities for writing. Skills are built up through repetition within the units, and children apply these skills in the writing activities provided.  Many opportunities for widening children’s vocabulary are given through the Pathways to Write approach and this builds on the extensive work we do in school to provide our children with a rich and varied vocabulary.  

Each unit has a wonderful book to act as a hook to launch the area of learning and is used throughout the lessons, to teach elements of reading, writing and spelling, grammar and punctuation. The teaching of skills is progressive, precise and ensure that all learners have the opportunity to succeed. 

You will find the end of year expectations for writing, reading and spoken language for each of our year groups in the documents below. For further detail on the skills that your children are learning on a termly basis, please contact your child's class teacher.

Children Who Read Succeed!

Read Write Inc. and Reading In School

Read Write Inc. was first created by Ruth Miskin in 2002. It is the UK’s leading synthetic phonics programme with the most bespoke phonics professional development. Read Write Inc. is for children from Reception to Year 4, and children with SEND in older year groups.

At Wistow, we teach RWI in Reception and Year 1, with a fantastic success rate and the children are then able to explore a wonderful range of genres and books in class, following the national curriculum and our use of Pathways to Write scheme of work. We assess pupils regularly and if pupils need more support and learning in this area, then we ensure that it is given, in lessons and interventions.

As part of the RWI scheme, Reception and Year 1 pupils bring home reading books that link to lesson learning and reinforce vocabulary, as well as tricky words that children need to know. Alongside these books, children will bring home books from the Oxford Reading Scheme and these books are read until the whole scheme is covered and then children become free readers. Teachers will assess pupils reading speed and understanding before moving them onto becoming a free reading and then children are able to choose books from our library, class library or select a book from home. 

At Wistow School, we strive to provide a strong reading culture and love of books.

Pupils are also allowed to borrow books from our school library and take them home. This is timetabled in, to give children to opportunity to explore, choose and exchange books, whilst finding about about new authors and genres with friends. 

As a whole school, we devote time share and read our pupils lots of stories. The aim of this is to support reading for pleasure and be given the chance to explore literary texts in analytical and evaluative ways.  Every day, before lunch a member of staff will read a class book. This is a wonderful time to share a love of reading, create a positive reading habit and give dedicated time to discuss a range vocabulary, authors and themes, which in turn will build their confidence and enjoyment of books.

For more information on what books your child can read to support their learning and development, visit the Children's drop down menu and select reading lists.

A RWI workshop is held for all new starter parents every September to explain how we use RWI in school. If other parents should wish to attend as a refresher, they are always warmly invited to attend.

READING CHALLENGE!

Each year, we set a whole school reading challenge, which all pupils take part in. There are different themes every year and we encourage our children to challenge themselves by reading lots at home and reading for pleasure.

This year, our challenge is linked to our school Bible story, 'The Parable of the Sower'. There are milestones for pupils to reach and when these are achieved, the pupil receives a special and unique badge to celebrate each of their achievements. 

Alongside the badges, there is a dedicated display in school that is interactive and as pupils achieve 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 home reads, they add their names to the display, which grows and evolves as the year does. When we come to the end of summer term, a wonderful display has grown and come into fruition and the pupils are always excited to see how together, whilst reading, they have achieved in both reading and creating the final image.