English

At Keyingham Primary School, we follow the Read Write Inc. phonics programme. This link will take you to a helpful "parent information" site, if you wish to know more.  Alternatively, please ask your child's teacher to talk you through it. 

Children learn phonics every day in discreet sessions from FS1 to Year 1. The sessions continue into Year 2 when and where necessary. We aim for our children to be reading fluently and spelling accurately by the end of  Year 2. In Key Stage 2, phonics continues to be taught implicitly through spelling and grammar activities. Some children will continue to receive phonics interventions in Key Stage 2, if required.  

Reading books in EYFS and Key Stage 1 are chosen so that the children can apply their phonics knowledge acquisition in their reading.  Whilst working through the RWI programme, pupils read 'Book Bag Books' (either via books they take home or access through the Oxford Owl e-book library with their personalised login details).  These books are matched exactly to their current and growing phonic knowledge.    

Our Reading sessions focus on developing a wide and rich vocabulary for all pupils through dialogue, discussion and investigation of age-related texts. Children focus on close reading and take part in daily taught lessons. There is explicit vocabulary teaching every week to support pupils in accessing age-related expectation texts.  Children collaborate in groups with a focus on embedding oracy skills and verbal reasoning together and also regularly record their developed responses in written format as they progress towards age-related expectations of reading response.   

Reading lessons are  supplemented by a mix of books and blended learning opportunities that match our pupils' stage of reading and ability from the Read Write Inc. scheme, the Oxford Reading Tree e-book library and the Reading Eggs programme where every child can access their reading record and log their progress.  This function allows staff to monitor regularity of reading and the progress the children are making.

In KS1 (and beyond, if necessary), all pupils' reading books are banded via the correct Read Write Inc. Book Bag Book colour and then the appropriate Oxford Reading Tree Level, with  great emphasis being  placed on ensuring the children in the early stages of reading have books  which let them apply their phonics acquisition.   In our Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress programme, children read at ability appropriate lexile levels. Click this link to read more about book band levels or ask your child's teacher to talk you through how we help your child to learn to read.

Our Reading Plan can be viewed here.

This journey begins in EYFS through the immersion of stories to develop communication and language skills. Handwriting encourages accuracy in letter formation and prepares them to become a writer and take small steps into lessons similar to those seen in Year 1.

In Years 1-6, our writing lessons follow CUSP Writing, designed to build strong, confident writers. The structure includes the following steps:

1. Connect: Teachers begin by linking what pupils already know to what they are about to learn, activating prior knowledge to create a strong foundation.

2. Explain: Key vocabulary and concepts are explained explicitly and concisely, ensuring students grasp the core ideas needed for success.

3. Example: Teachers provide multiple examples of the key concept through a model text. This step includes modelling how to apply the concept in writing.

4. Attempt: Through guided practice, pupils begin to apply the target concept themselves, with scaffolding provided and gradually reduced to foster independence.

5. Apply: Pupils continue practicing the concept, aiming for fluency. For those who require additional support, further instruction is provided at this stage.

6. Challenge: Pupils are encouraged to deepen their understanding by thinking critically about the concept. This may involve exploring exceptions, identifying common mistakes, or applying the concept in different contexts.

These writing units are taught in one, two, or three-week blocks, depending on the genre. High-quality model texts are integrated throughout each unit for students to read, analyse, and learn from. Part A of each unit is focused on the grammar or punctuation skills practice and Part B applies those skills into writing an outcome for each genre. The children meet each genre twice in each academic year so they can apply their knowledge more independently the second time.

During EYFS and Key Stage 1, our pupils learn and practice their spellings through daily Read Write Inc. lessons and 1:1 sessions.

During Key Stage 2, our pupils follow a spelling scheme that focusses on digraph recognition and progression. They practice these rules in lessons every day.

You can access the spelling scheme we follow in Key Stage 2 below and you can support your child at home by practising the suggested words included or by using SpellingFrame or the spelling games on Reading Eggspress.  

Year 3 Spelling Overview

Year 4 Spelling Overview

Year 5 Spelling Overview

Year 6 Spelling Overview

Research shows that children who read (or are read to) for 20 minutes a day have a higher success rate in their studies throughout their school life.  We pledge to all our children and families that we will meet them half way and, above all other reading opportunities in the day, we take 10 minutes every day to just read and enjoy a story together in our classes. We use this time to explore story themes, discover new vocabulary and to simply enjoy the thrill of a good tale!

Our curriculum ensures that all children have plenty of opportunities to write for different purposes. We encourage writing through all curriculum areas and use quality reading texts to  model examples of good writing. Writing is taught through a number of different strategies. We believe that children need lots of rich speaking and drama activities, alongside experiences outside of the classroom  to give them the imagination  and the understanding to become excellent writers.