We use the Literary Tree Curriculum, which places literature at the core of English teaching throughout Gillamoor primary school.
We believe the exposure of children’s literature within the primary school setting is vital as a rich context for learning; not only within English as a subject but to support building a reading culture throughout the school.
The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
We use high quality books that offer opportunities for empathy and can aid philosophical enquiry, as a means of developing the spoken language requirements through debate, drama and discussion using the issues raised through, and within, the text.
In writing, our teachers develop writing opportunities which are meaningful, feel authentic, and have a clear audience.
Our children have real reasons to write, whether to explain, persuade, inform or instruct with learning driven by the text or linked to a curriculum area. Writing in role using a range of genres is key to our approach and teachers use an ‘I do, we do, you do’ approach; modelling and then practising together before children write independently.
Our curriculum meetings covers the entire English Programme of Study for KS1 and KS2 for Writing and Reading Comprehension, as well as meeting the needs of the statutory 2021 Early Years Framework. In many cases objectives are covered more than once and children have opportunities to apply these several times over the course of a year, as well as to consolidate prior knowledge from previous years. This approach supports children to think deeply and develop skills with depth.
We follow the Emile scheme of work for spelling. Spelling lists and activities are first covered in a class session, before being sent home to be practised and learnt for homework. Spellings will be sent on a Thursday and all work to be returned the following Tuesday. Spellings will be tested on either Tuesday or Wednesday each week.