At St. Paul’s First School we believe that Literacy is a fundamental life skill. Language is inextricably bound up with all the learning in our school. It is important for our children to master basic language skills to:
- Become independent learners.
- Enable them to participate fully in everyday life.
- Enable them to communicate effectively with other people.
- Equip them for the world of work.
It is vital that the “language development” is planned and organised in such a way to provide an educational programme which is as consistent as possible for each child throughout the school and through which all children have opportunities to develop their language skills, concepts, attitudes and usages to the maximum. It is our philosophy that teachers are positive role models in achieving this.
The emphasis in our teaching of Literacy is on having respect for and building upon all of the children’s home experiences and language. We intend to develop and extend this via a safe, secure and stimulating environment where children are motivated, enabling them to achieve their potential in the areas of Literacy regardless of their gender or ethnic or social background.
Basic Skills Statement
Basic skills are the key to learning. At St. Paul’s First School we recognise that all subjects in the curriculum can be used to develop and nurture these necessary skills. We aim to incorporate the teaching of Basic Skills throughout the curriculum in order to enable St. Paul’s children to acquire the ability to read, write and speak English and use Mathematics at a level necessary to function at work and society in general.
1) General Aims
- To deliver all areas of the National Curriculum for English including Speaking and Listening/drama, Reading and Writing skills as the central of the language experience.
- To ensure that the language scheme reflects the interdependence of the three principle areas of the National Curriculum and that progress in one of these areas will directly influence and affect the progress and achievement in the others.
- To plan programmes of work which provide tasks and learning opportunities to develop language skills appropriate to the age and ability of the learners.
- To develop and maximise the learners competence in and enjoyment of language in all areas of the curriculum.
- To enable each child’s work to demonstrate to the fullest extent their individual aptitudes, abilities and interests.
- To enable the children to develop skills required to employ language effectively, appropriately, constructively and imaginatively in a broad range of linguistic situations and for a wide variety of purposes and types of audience.
English is taught as a stand-alone subject daily for at least 1 hour in each Key Stage. In addition to this, the children in Year 1 receive a daily Phonics lesson . Guided Reading sessions and Reading lessons also take place each week with a rota for each differentiated group. Spelling lessons take place four times a week using the Read Write Inc. Spelling Programme. Handwriting lessons using the MSL Scheme also take place four times a week.
Handwriting information
In addition to these specific literacy based lessons, cross curricular activities also serve as a way to practise and embed literacy skills.
Reception Writing Targets
Year 1 Writing Targets
Year 2 Writing Targets
Year 3 Writing Targets
Year 4 Writing Targets
World Book Day 2021
Well done to all of the children who took part in our Story in a Box competition. Here are some photos of the fabulous entries.
Story in a Box 2021
