Our Writing Lead is Mrs Cooper

Our Reading Lead is Mrs Cooper

Please click on the logo below to take you to the AR logging in page.

Children can access the site between 9 am and 3 pm.

Children will know their usernames and passwords but if you require any assistance, please email:

admin@st-peters-sittingbourne.kent.sch.uk 

who will be able to provide a reminder.

Intent

At St Peter's Catholic Primary School, English and the teaching of English is the heart of our curriculum.  We aim to inspire an appreciation of our rich and varied English heritage.  Staff at St Peter's, feel it is fundamental to highlight and be aware of the differing groups of learners and vulnerable children in their class.  We recognise that each child has their own starting point upon entry to every year group and progress is measured in line with these starting points to ensure that every child can celebrate success.

We want to inspire children to be confident in the art of speaking and listening and we can use discussion to communicate and further their learning.  We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge base in English, which follows a clear pathway of progression as their advance through the primary curriculum.  We believe that a secure basis in English skills is crucial to a high quality education and will give our children the tools they will need to participate fully as a member of society.

Implementation

With these aims in mind, first and foremost, we implemented discreet lessons for reading into year groups from 2 - 6 (for Year 1: Phonics).  This ensures that reading objectives are explicitly taught every day and that every child have quality reading time with the teacher.  Vulnerable groups are highlighted and teaching assistant are used to support these groups further to ensure progression and specific year group skills are secure.  Resources are used to support and enhance these lessons to make certain that all staff feel proficient and skilled in delivering high quality lessons.

Reading

Children are not only learning comprehension skills but also independence, a love of wider reading and exposure to rich vocabulary, making this the backbone of all our lessons.  Alongside reading being celebrated in classrooms, you will find displays around the school which celebrate authors, children's favourite books and reading reward schemes (Accelerated Reader "AR" - Achievement Board).  In addition throughout the school year reading is enhanced through World Book Day, Millionaire lunches, parent phonic workshops, House Team reading competitions which enrich and complement children's learning.  At St Peter's we believe consistency and well taught English is the foundation of a valuable education therefore we ensure that the teaching of writing is purposeful, robust and shows clear progression for all children.

We are very lucky to have a beautiful library which is very well used throughout the school day.  The team of librarians ensure that on Mondays the library is well used, providing reading support to those that need it during break and lunchtimes whilst keeping the space well organised.  Children are able to borrow books from the library's fiction, non-fiction, picture book or poetry sections or simply enjoy a book whilst they are in there.  Seating allows for a calm atmosphere where children can grab a cushion and get lost in an adventure. 

The space is also used for learning with adults at various points during curriculum time.  Outside the library children will find an organised but equally well maintained reading area in the classrooms that is a space for promoting the love of reading.

Writing

In every year group, the teaching of explicit grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives are taught within the English lesson to ensure that these skills are embedded in the children's writing.  The assessment of writing has been produced in line with the Key Stage Assessment Frameworks (published by the Department of Education) to provide the teachers with the necessary guidance to make robust and secure judgements.  Writing is taught through the use of high quality text which exposes the children to inference, rich vocabulary, a range of punctuation and characterisation.  Each text is carefully selected by the teacher to promote a love of reading, engagement and high quality writing from each child.

Impact

BoomReader