Speaking and Listening:
Speaking and Listening skills are essential to the development of all areas of the curriculum and therefore of paramount importance to the development of our children. At Wingate Primary School we aim to engage children in stimulating conversations that increase their vocabulary and encourage them to become active listeners. Speaking and Listening is taught across all areas of the curriculum and across all aspects of the school day. This begins in Reception through role play and continues throughout school in many different forms including; performances and presentations, engaging in discussion and debate and understanding the importance of effective communication.
Phonics:
Phonics begins in Reception and follows a carefully planned and structured programme. Teaching follows the Letters and Sounds scheme and Jolly Phonics is incorporated to further support children in their learning. At Wingate Primary School phonics is taught as a discrete lesson, daily, across all of Key Stage One. Our children are streamed into groups that match their stage of learning enabling them to develop phonic knowledge and skills. Throughout Key Stage Two the teaching of phonics will continue as deemed necessary and in line with each child’s stage of development with the expectation that all children will become fluent readers secure in word building and recognition skills.
Reading:
Reading is a vital life skill that supports children’s learning across the whole curriculum. At Wingate Primary School we strive to ensure that our children are taught to read with fluency, accuracy and understanding. We intend to immerse children in quality texts with the aim to instill a love of reading and promote lifelong learning. ‘Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible’ Barack Obama.
Reading is taught from the day children start school through a variety of strategies. In Reception children share books matched to their phonic level and are immersed in a text rich environment. Across school our main reading scheme is Oxford Reading Tree and this is supplemented with Alpha Kids, Floppy Phonics and Code X. Across school our children enjoy books through whole class shared reading, 1-1 reading, guided and reciprocal reading. Home reading books are provided at the appropriate level until children become fluent readers, and then children are encouraged to select books that they choose to read. On a weekly basis in order to promote a love of reading, children can take a free choice book home to read or be read to.
Writing:
At Wingate Primary School we aim to encourage our children to become independent and creative writers who are motivated to write. Across school we teach children to write effectively and coherently for different purposes and audiences. In order for children to be able to do this we immerse them in a text rich environment providing models of different genres to ignite their imagination. Teaching writing is carefully planned and structured. Children are initially introduced to the type of writing and will explore examples of this style looking closely at structure and vocabulary. Exploration leads to modelling and planning ensuring children get a firm grasp on the style and features before composing their own piece. Opportunities for proof-reading and editing their work are encouraged from the youngest children and throughout school. Writing charters are created and displayed in each classroom which promotes independent writers who are able to draft and edit their work to a high standard.
