At Covingham Park we believe that English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English teaches 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. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.
The overarching aim for English in the National Curriculum is to promote high standards of language and English by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
At Covingham Park Primary, our intention is to cultivate a vibrant and inspiring reading culture where all children become fluent and motivated readers. We are committed to nurturing inspired, curious, and resilient learners who leave our school having encountered a wide range of books that:
- Contain a ābigā idea at their heart, such as the power of friendship or the ability of power to corrupt
- Reflect a diverse range of voices and characters, mirroring the backgrounds of our pupils and society at large, fostering empathy and understanding.
- Feature rich, lyrical language, enhancing their appreciation for the beauty and power of words.
- Have the potential to expand pupilsā wider knowledge, connecting their learning to the world around them.
- Deliberately widen horizons by offering culturally rich content, exposing pupils to different perspectives and experiences.
- Provide opportunities for pupils to explore various genres and formats, helping them to discover and develop their own opinions and preferences.
Our goal is to inspire a lifelong love of reading, equipping our students with the skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to navigate and contribute to an increasingly complex and diverse world.
WRITING
INTENT
At Covingham Park Primary school, we strive to inspire our children with a stimulating and exciting writing curriculum, where they have a love for literature and the written and spoken word. We want our children to be excited and curious by writing; knowing their writing will have an impact on anyone who reads it. We want the children to have pride in their writing; with legible, neat handwriting and accurate spelling and grammar skills.
Before children learn the craft of writing, we believe in giving children plenty of opportunities to rehearse ideas through oracy and through exploring and play. We also believe very strongly in the editing process to improve; building childrenās resilience and determination to make their writing the best it can be.
We endeavour to give children a vast range of experiences and opportunities for writing for different purposes and in a range of contexts, that encourage and develop a love for writing.
Writing Implementation
At Covingham Park Primary School, we understand the importance of reading to support writing and believe that writing is strengthened by developing a love for reading within our pupils. Therefore, we have carefully mapped each topic focus across the year for the whole school with a focus on developing the key reading strategies and skills of fluency and comprehension, as well as developing grammar and punctuation knowledge and the understanding of how to use and apply these in a range of subjects, contexts and genres.
This feeds into the childrenās writing by deconstructing a high-quality modelled text for each genre into its format, language, audience and purpose (FLAP) in Upper School and how it looks, what vocabulary is used and who it is for (See, Say, Send) in Lower School. From this, pupils are taught the grammar from the National Curriculum which is taught to correspond to the genres being written as part of the writing process. This ensures they fully understand the different components needed. Our tailored writing journey then ensures we build on this knowledge by giving the children opportunities to plan, write an initial draft with a clear context and purpose and then evaluate the effectiveness of their writing for purpose and audience by editing and finally improving it. Ā Ā
We believe that pupils who understand the reason for writing, demonstrate flair and effective writing composition, leading to high quality outcomes.