English
Being an Author at Herne View
At Herne View, we believe that the essential skills of an Author - reading, writing, speaking and listening; form the foundations for our pupils' success across the entire curriculum and in all areas of learning, both now and in the future.
Being a Reader at Herne View
A reader is someone who develops a passion for reading with each book they explore. This doesn’t mean they must enjoy every book, but rather appreciate the knowledge, journeys, and new worlds that reading reveals.
At Herne View we think carefully about the books we read, both to improve our knowledge and understanding of the world and those we read just for pleasure.
We aim to provide our children with a rich and varied diet of high-quality, challenging literature in order to prepare them for their secondary school, foster a love of reading and inspire them to want to read more.
With this in mind we have developed our own school ‘Core’ Reading Spine. Our Reading Spine is a list of books which all children will experience as they move though our school. Our reading spine will be reviewed each year and updated accordingly to ensure it meets the needs of our pupils in this everchanging world.
Phonics and Spelling
At Herne View, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching Little Wandle Foundations in our Nursery and then, from Reception, we follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. As a result, all our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read.
Teachers and LSAs model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics and in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for all our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.
Phonics is taught daily for 30mins in both Reception and Key Stage One. Any child who needs additional practice has Daily Keep-up support and is taught by a fully trained adult. Daily Keep-up lessons follow the Little Wandle progression and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition so that every child secures their learning. Once children reach Year 2 and are secure on Phase 5, they move onto the Little Wandle spelling units.
We use and teach the Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up program to children who are not at age-related expectations for reading in Key Stage Two. These short, sharp lessons last 15 to 20 minutes daily and have been designed to ensure children quickly catch up to age-related expectations in reading.
Being a Writer at Herne View
An Author reads a lot and uses what they have read to help them write what is inside their heads. This means other people can read what they have written to help them understand something, entertain them or make life better.
At Herne View, we aim to equip pupils with the writing skills necessary for academic success and lifelong learning, ensuring they can communicate effectively in all areas of life.
Children are taught the skills to develop their own writing ability, such as accurate spelling and grammar, alongside fostering creativity and originality in their written work.
We aspire for all children to become independent writers who can draft, review, and improve their own work, growing in confidence to express their ideas effectively.
Being an Orator at Herne View
An Orator is a confident and articulate speaker who can express ideas clearly and engage an audience. At Herne View the development of spoken language skills sits at the heart of our curriculum.
Pupils are encouraged to speak fluently, listen attentively, and participate in discussions, debates, and presentations. These taught skills prepare our children for their own futures by enhancing their ability to express opinions, justify their own ideas, and adapt speech for different audiences and purposes.
"Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savour their songs." - Nelson Mandela
Website links for English
Phonics
Little Wandle for Parents – https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Reading/ Writing
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/
