Literacy

Literacy Overview

Intent

At Fresh Steps It is our intent to provide high-quality learning experiences in order to develop pupils’ competence in both transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing). Pupils will learn how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing effectively. They will be able to write down their ideas fluently and spell words quickly and accurately by knowing the relationship between sounds and letters in words. The development of pupils’ composition skills will ensure they can form, articulate and communicate ideas, and organise them coherently for a reader, showing an awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. We aim to encourage pupils to develop fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.

Literacy has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in Literacy/English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literacy, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

Implementation

At Fresh Steps School the Literacy curriculum encourages a life-long love of language and communication. Through our Literacy teaching, we promote an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage. We set high standards for language and literacy and equip pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word. From the earliest point with phonics in year 1, to sustained writing in a range of genres in Key Stage 2, children at Fresh Steps are taught the necessary skills to express themselves verbally and in written form.

We provide opportunities for children to demonstrate dramatic skills and confident speaking through role play, whole class assemblies, and festive performances.
Pupils learn literacy skills through quality children’s texts that interest, inspire, and excite readers and empower them to express their thoughts and ideas effectively and creatively through writing. Reading and writing are life skills that we believe all children are entitled to have, therefore we teach our learners the necessary knowledge and skills to participate fully as a member of society.

Children have effective, high-quality daily Literacy lessons and frequent opportunities to write across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills support children in articulating their ideas. Children have opportunities to reflect on and improve writing through editing with continuous self, peer and teacher assessment providing clear next steps for learning. Spelling skills are developed using a phonics-based approach and in line with the requirements of the Literacy National Curriculum. Children are taught to use a neat and consistent style of handwriting, and presentation. Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar is taught in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Literacy National Curriculum

Early writing is taught through understanding the five key concepts about print: print has meaning, print can have different purposes, we read English text from left to right and from top to bottom, the names of the different parts of a book, and page sequencing. This then leads to early mark-making. When the children begin to read, and write phonics, they are taught the letter formations.

At Fresh Steps we adapt our lessons and assessments to our pupil’s needs, to ensure they can make progress.

Impact

Pupils will be equipped with a strong command of the written word they will amass a varied vocabulary which they can use across the curriculum and spelling accurately and use correct grammar in their work. Pupils will write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. By the end of Primary, we aim for children to be well-prepared for the secondary curriculum.