Early Reading
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3 Introduction The teaching and learning of English are fundamental to ensure every pupils’ success as a life-long learner, and citizen of the world. Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening skills are explicitly taught at every phase of a pupils’ education and it is paramount that children make a positive start at Jerry Clay Academy. Developing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills discreetly, in English lessons, as well as embedding these within all curriculum subjects is vital. Jerry Clay Academy recognises this and provides opportunities through our curriculum model, incorporating carefully chosen ‘core texts’ through which to teach reading and inspire writing outcomes, that help our children cultivate a love of English language and literature. Our reading spine ensures curriculum coverage, as well as genre coverage, and a love of learning – across the curriculum - through story and information texts. Our aim is to ensure that, by the end of their primary education at Jerry Clay Academy, all of our pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education as well seeing themselves as a reader who enjoys reading for choice, pleasure, interest, challenge and enjoyment. 1. JCA ensures reading is central to the curriculum. 2. All adults are teachers of reading. 3. Reading is prioritised to ensure the very best start. A robust, systematic synthetic phonics programme is in place, alongside effective early language development and the central development of stories, songs & rhymes. 4. Pupils read a broad range of excellent literature. 5. We recognise that reading aloud is one of the most valuable activities an adult can do. 6. We prioritise a vocabulary rich culture. 7. We have a systematic approach to supporting comprehension development. Our main aims for Reading are:
4 At Jerry Clay Academy we regard the teaching of Reading at the centre of everything we do. Reading forms a pivotal part of our curriculum model (right). As a consequence of our passion, we are a DfE English Hub and were awarded model school status four years ago for the teaching of early Reading. Our aim is to offer the strongest SSP (Systematic and Synthetic phonics) teaching, which is taught consistently in EYFS & KS1 through Read Write Inc. and ensures that pupils’ make the strongest start, so that their confidence in reading and language comprehension can be built upon year after year. Pupils should always be ready for the next stage of their progressive reading journey, through explicit teaching and timely interventions. JCA ensures reading is at the centre of the curriculum Reading Reflection Learner Traits / Well-being The seven learner traits of a JCA pupil are; perseverance, carer, inquirer, risktaker, teamwork, communicator and thinker. These are paramount and run through the core of everything at Jerry Clay Academy. They are central in our aim to promote the development of secure, happy, well-adjusted individuals who are equipped for lifelong learning. Leadership Leadership is an important aspect at the core of our curriculum. Individual subjects are driven not only by staff subject leaders, but by Junior Leaders too. Pupil voice is important to how we continue to shape our curriculum. We believe that developing leadership in our children enables them to develop confidence, strength of voice and prepares them for their future education and life. Purpose We believe a curriculum with purpose is key to obtaining the best possible outcomes through the curriculum. The purpose is one of the main drivers in a subject and has the potential to motivate, enthuse and inspire our children even more. We believe that a purposeful curriculum motivates, inspires and embeds rich knowledge into our children’s working memories. Community / Experiences We are passionate about including the whole community in our curriculum. This does not just involve the local community but nationally and internationally. It is important to us to develop cultural capital, respect and appreciation of the world around them. Environment Using the environment to it’s potential support, extends and challenges the development of our curriculum. We are passionate about using the indoors and outdoors to enhance learning opportunities and make the best possible use of promoting learning around school. Children are inspired by our environment , it exudes our expectations and encourages children to take pride in everything they do. Theme Weeks Theme Weeks inspire our children and allow for an in-depth focus on specific subject and a key component of it. Children thrive during subject weeks and always have a purpose and an outcome to achieve by the end of the week. Purposeful Project The purposeful projects in a theme gives added purpose that children are inspired by. It ensures that children have a clear aim , clear learning intentions and have goals to achieve before getting to the desired outcome. Process The process is incredibly important to help to get to the desired outcome and is planned out very clearly through long and medium term plans. We ensure that every subject area is clearly mapped out to ensure coverage which is age appropriate, challenging and offers children to explore the subject in-depth. By sharing the process with everyone involved, there is a clear aim and every task is meaningful. Reading, Relevance, Reflection, Responsive We believe that these aspects should happen throughout all of these strands above. We strongly believe that Reading is at the absolute heart of our curriculum. Whether it be reactive to current affairs or to children’s interests, adapting our curriculum is key to maintaining interest , ensure knowledge is embedded & reacting to what is happening in the world around us, whilst maintaining subject coverage. Community / Experiences Teaching Curriculum Subject Areas Learner Traits Leadership Responsive Relevance Well-Being
5 Systematic synthetic phonics When pupils first enter in Reception, they robustly follow the Read, Write, Inc. systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) scheme. This is followed until Year 2 and is taught progressively and with fidelity. Children, who are within Reception and KS1, are taught each day in small, teacher-led groups to learn sounds and reading skills according to their ability which is assessed each half term. To ensure pupils retain their knowledge of phonemes and graphemes, they spend 45 minutes to 1 hour daily on this Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme, as well as revisiting sounds through an additional quick-fire ‘Speed Sounds’ session daily. Interventions Where needed, children undertake daily Fast Track Tutoring intervention support and where pupils have not yet mastered the English alphabetic code in Key Stage 2 they access the Fresh Start Programme to ensure they catch up quickly. Children are tutored as a ‘keep up’ not a ‘catch up’ program to help develop their knowledge of sounds, blending or fluency. Interventions are taken from the Read, Write, Inc. SSP scheme to ensure fidelity to one programme within our school. Interventions are mapped out using data from half termly assessments and are reflected on in the weekly Reading team meetings.
6 Leading phonics We provide regular training for all staff at Jerry Clay. Our expectation is that everyone is constantly developed to provide the best reading teaching. We carry out regular side-by-side coaching for Reading Teachers, lead weekly Reading team meetings and have termly training with our Phonics provider. We also ensure Reading is part of our CPD calendar every half term. We expect every adult that is part of team to be a Reading Teacher. The Reading Leader oversees the teaching of the scheme by carrying out sideby-side coaching throughout the week. Teachers attend weekly training with individual coaching map to ensure that their skills are constantly being developed. During this time, all staff from EYFS and KS1 gather to practise intervention activities, go through terminology and discuss the lowest 20% in each year group, this is monitored closely using the Read, Write, Inc. practice map. This document outlines the many different areas to be covered within the practice and coaching sessions and enables us to track and monitor staff CPD in phonics and early reading Home readers Home reading is encouraged as part of a wider partnership with families and carers. In the early years and for those children still on the reading scheme, children are sent home with decodable reading books matched closely to the phonics scheme. Children read their phonics book three times. On the first read, children focus on accurate word reading; the second, on developing fluency; and the third, on comprehension. Fluency and comprehension increase with each repeated reading. Book bag books for children on RWI should include: a reading record book to record reading when listened to, a copy of the story book that they have read 3 times in RWI lessons, either a colour matching ‘RWI book bag book’ or last/past RWI book, and a picture book for shared reading at home (for parent/carer to read with child for pleasure). We encourage parents to read with their children on a daily basis and record this in their Reading Record book. Children at the beginning stages of RWI (non-blenders) will take home set one speed sound sheets from OUP (as well as a picture book for shared reading at home for parent/carer to read with child for pleasure). All children on RWI will have access to the virtual classroom online link to lessons they have had in school to read again at home with parents and carers. It is really important for consistency that no other reading scheme book be included in book bags to take home. Impact All children should be confident with their word reading and comprehension (both listening and reading) relevant to their attainment level. By the time they leave Jerry Clay Academy, pupils should be able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education as well seeing themselves as a reader who enjoys reading for choice, pleasure, interest, information, challenge and enjoyment across a variety of topics and themes.
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Jerry Clay Academy Jerry Clay Lane, Wrenthorpe Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF2 0NP 01924 303665 jcainfo@jerryclayacademy.wakefield.sch.uk
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