English

Through our reading and writing programmes of study in our early years setting, children are exposed to a wide range of high-quality text books, oral stories and spoken language.  Books are chosen because of their rich language, rigorous content about the world, their ability to engage young children and to reflect our community. 

Spoken Language 

Oracy is a  central feature in EYFS. Through child and adult led activities such as story time, 1:1 reading and in the moment opportunities during free flow, children are  encouraged to use new vocabulary and orally rehearse sentences and stories. During free flow children are encouraged to practise new vocabulary and to speak in full sentences. 

Reading 

We recognise the importance of a language rich environment in the earliest stages of education.  Therefore, we prioritise conversations, books and daily phonics using Sounds-Write. This is a direct instruction approach that is based on the science of reading and incorporating insights from Cognitive Load Theory.  Adults read a range of texts to the children on a daily basis as well as regular opportunities for children 1:1 with an adult.  Children take books home - that are matched to their ability - to read with families each day which gives frequent opportunities for practise and retrieval. 

Writing 

At the early stages of Reception,  mark making using tools is encouraged to develop fine motor skills and to show how marks convey meaning. This progresses throughout the year with all children being taught to grip and use a pencil by the end of Reception. Children are given deliberate instruction in  transcription skills  through  our daily phonics scheme Sounds-Write. Children are then provided with multiple opportunities to deliberately practise these skills throughout the continuous provision. In addition to phonics, English lessons, based on rich language and texts, include direct instruction and guided practice in transcription, oracy and early composition.  Children are expected to apply their knowledge in group writing sessions deliberately practising lists, captions, labels, phrases  and sentences. 

During the summer term, in preparation for transitioning to Y1, children are expected to write more independently and more frequently during group and independent sessions. 

Key components of writing curriculum in EYFS

• Daily teaching of phonics

• Discrete handwriting practice 

• Opportunities for oral composition and spoken language 

• Writing instruction and practice based on rich texts and real life events 

• Discreetly teaching vocabulary and multiple opportunities to practise in context

• Stories telling and sequencing 

• Adapted practice to ensure all children, including SEND, access learning 

• Building subject knowledge about the world to support writing in context

Through our broad and ambitious reading and writing programmes of study, children are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts in writing lessons, whole class reading (Y2), reading assembly and class novel. These include picture books, poetry, graphic novels and longer, more advanced fiction and non-fiction books. Ongoing assessment ensures that all children are challenged and pushed to achieve their full potential. Where groups are not making expected progress early support is provided. 

Spoken Language

Throughout our curriculum, children are taught the skills of speaking and are given opportunities to orally rehearse stories, present ideas, debate and discuss. Oral and drama activities such as hot seating, conscience alley, talk partners and assemblies are designed to develop confident speakers and listeners.

Reading 

Throughout KS1, children continue daily Sounds-Write lessons and begin learning the ‘extended code’.  Teachers continue to prioritise a love of reading and there are regular opportunities to share stories and discuss characters, themes and plot.  Books that are matched to the children's levels go home each week for daily reading and children have opportunities for daily 1:1 reading during school time. In addition to daily Sounds-Write lessons, In year 2, children have daily whole class reading lessons (see KS2 for more information). 

Writing 

Writing builds on and revisits the skills and knowledge taught in EYFS.  Children who did not meet the ELG are identified early and provided with additional support such as small group teaching in the classroom and additional phonics interventions. 

In KS1, there is a continued focus on and writing and spelling through daily phonics and discrete handwriting lessons. Following a period of transition and when appropriate, writing lessons become more formal. Children receive daily explicit instruction, write more frequently and develop their stamina for writing. Lessons are based on vocabulary rich texts - both fiction and non-fiction - and children start to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Children are also exposed to oral stories which are used to stimulate independent writing.  Composition builds on the requirements in EYFS and progresses across Y1 - Y2. Lesson sequences ensure that grammar and punctuation is structured and sequenced, providing opportunities for regular review - progressing in line with requirements of Appendix 2 of the English curriculum. 

Key components of writing curriculum in KS1

• Daily systematic synthetic phonics

• Discrete handwriting practice 

• Opportunities for oral composition  and spoken language 

• Grammar and punctuation is embedded through teaching of writing

• Daily writing instruction and practice based on rich texts and real life events 

• Opportunities to start to write for difference audiences and purposes 

• Vocabulary is developed and taught explicitly

• Adapted practice to ensure all children, including SEND, access learning 

• Building subject knowledge around the writing activity 

• Rich, relevant and engaging texts are selected to promote a love of writing 

In KS2, our reading and writing programmes of study continue to progress and are sequenced so that children revisit prior learning and are exposed to increasingly  challenging and age appropriate texts. They include more ambitious vocabulary, sentence structures, grammar, punctuation and themes. Reading and writing are central to learning in KS2 and children learn to write as a reader and to read as a writer. Children across KS2 are expected to write and read daily through daily writing lessons, whole class reading, class novel, reading assemblies, library sessions and independent reading time. By the end of KS2,  children are expected to effectively write for a range of purposes and audiences choosing the correct punctuation and grammar required for their writing. The curriculum ensures enable children to write across the curriculum and are ready for KS3

Spoken Language 

Spoken language and listening are woven through our curriculum and  students are given opportunities to orally rehearse, present, debate and discuss across the curriculum. 

Reading 

Our whole class reading curriculum is designed to expose children to a range of high-quality texts that enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world and provide opportunities to revisit content from other areas of the curriculum.  Knowledge and vocabulary underpins all reading lessons with frequent opportunities for discussion of the text’s content.  In all lessons, there are frequent opportunities for children to practise reading and develop their fluency and understanding of a text. 

Through daily reading of the class novel, children are continually being exposed to a range of knowledge, vocabulary, syntax and ideas that they are encouraged to apply in other areas of their learning. 

Children who require additional phonics input (sounds-spelling correspondences) are provided with  phonics intervention.  Children needing additional blending and segmenting have targeted support using an online intervention - Lexia.  This is in addition to daily reading with an adult and targeted support during whole class reading. 

Writing 

In KS2, the writing curriculum continues to revisit and build on the transcription and composition knowledge and skills in EYFS and KS1. Across Y3 - Y6 lessons are sequenced  to ensure vocabulary, grammar and punctuation become more challenging and children become more conscious, controlled and effective writers.  Writing instruction includes: oracy, direct instruction, checking for understanding and questioning, guided  and independent practice. Each sequence provides opportunities to plan, draft and edit writing. Children not working at age related expectations are identified early though a rigorous assessment framework and tailored support is provided. 

Key components of writing curriculum in KS2

• Retrieval - opportunities to revisit and practise prior learning 

• Discrete handwriting practice in Y3 and where appropriate thereafter 

• Opportunities for oral composition  and spoken language 

• Daily writing instruction and practice based on rich texts and real life events 

• Grammar and punctuation taught within the context of a rich text 

• Opportunities to start to write for difference audiences and purposes 

• Adapted practice to ensure all children, including SEND, access learning 

• Vocabulary is developed and taught explicitly

• Building subject knowledge around the writing activity 

• Rich, relevant and engaging texts are selected to promote a love of writing

The Key Stage 3 curriculum builds on the foundation provided at KS2 and goes on to prepare them for the demands of GCSE. As such, in each year students study a creative writing unit, Shakespeare, non-fiction, poetry and a novel.  Each year has its own theme around which the curriculum is built: 

• Year 7 Storytelling: students get to know one another as they tell their own fiction and non-fiction stories, find stories they want to read with the Year 7 Dunraven Reading Journey, as well as discovering Victorian literature, Shakespeare and a range of poets from across the centuries. They practise responding to texts and find evidence to support their responses; at the same time they learn how to use the methods they find in the texts they read within their own writing. 

• Year 8 Power and Conflict: students start to develop their understanding of wider contexts of the texts they study including Animal Farm, women in Shakespeare, dystopian fiction and the poetry of love and loss. They examine the social and political changes that the texts explore before expressing their own ideas in the debating unit at the end of the year. 

• Year 9 Prejudice: students start by exploring the gothic as a way of preparing for the 19th century novel at GCSE and to hone their own creative writing. They explore marginalised voices from across the 20th century in the nonfiction unit that looks ahead to Paper 2 Language, as well as poetry from different cultures and the American novel in preparation for Paper 2 Literature. The units extend students' exploration and analysis of literary and nonfiction texts supported by the use of context. 

Students are formally assessed at the end of the first 3 units and the end of year exam assesses unit 4, as well as a skill taught earlier in the year. In all years students write their own poems and perform them in a class competition with the winners going forward to a year final judged by Laurie Bolger, a professional poet. In Year 9, all students will see a live theatre performance either at ‘The Globe’ or in school; all students also receive public speaking training for at least one full school day, with many going on to further training and competition. All Key Stage 3 students also have the opportunity to join the Creative Writing Club and the Debating Club. 

The GCSE English language curriculum requires students to: 

• read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding

• read critically, and use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing

• write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately

• use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately

• acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.

In addition, they must enable students to:

• listen to and understand spoken language, and use spoken Standard English effectively.

The GCSE English literature curriculum requires students to: 

• read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading

• read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas

• develop the habit of reading widely and often

• appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage

• write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English

• acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read.

The language and literature courses are taught in tandem allowing students to see the overlapping skills between the subjects. With the exception of the 19th century novel, all elements of both subjects are taught and assessed across Year 10; this means from November in Year 11 we are revisiting and revising to support retention with the students ahead of the examinations. In addition, throughout Year 10 and 11, we interleave skills to ensure that students have retrieval practice.

Texts are chosen to ensure access and challenge for all abilities. Some students will have studied  An Inspector Calls and Jekyll and Hyde. These shorter texts will still allow students to explore complex themes in a more thorough and guided manner. Those going on to study A-level English will ideally have studied Lord of the Flies and Jane Eyre; this will encourage confidence and stamina to engage with longer and more challenging novels.

We also teach the GCSE Power and Conflict cluster poetry. This provides a contrast of theme with the AQA Love through the Ages at A-level. It also enables them to consider wider world issues such as power structures and political and personal conflicts.

To support the development of good oracy skills, all Year 10 students are offered Jack Petchey public speaking training during the course of the year. These speeches often inspire and contribute towards their Spoken Language component at the end of Year 10.

The A-level curriculum requires students to: 

• read widely and independently both set texts and others that they have selected for themselves

• engage critically and creatively with a substantial body of texts and ways of responding to them

• develop and effectively apply their knowledge of literary analysis and evaluation

• explore the contexts of the texts they are reading and others’ interpretations of them.

The AQA A-level curriculum ensures students study a wide range of texts (prose, poetry and plays) from different periods and traditions, from Renaissance love poetry to contemporary fiction. The introductory unit bridges the gap between GCSE and A-level: it explores different ways of reading before students go on to study our own anthology of pre and post 1900 prose to continue the reading for pleasure principles established at key stage 3, support with the unseen prose element and prepare students for their coursework choices.  Studying pre-20th Century love poetry provides students with a foundation to further explore authorial methods throughout literary history. Beginning with Paper 1 (Love through the Ages) in year 12 gives students the analytical skills needed in order to explore modern literature in year 13. The modern times paper allows us to teach a diverse range of voices which are explored in both the unseen elements of the course as well as the teaching of The Colour Purple by Alice Walker and Feminine Gospels by Carol Ann Duffy. 

The NEA element gives students the freedom to choose two texts for a 2500 word essay. The students devise their own questions, ensuring they engage with an interpretation and understand the nuances of an analytical argument - excellent preparation for undergraduate study. Targeted intervention is offered, both for those who need further support in their studies (especially regarding their NEA), and those interested in studying English at university. In the Autumn of year 13, the department runs masterclasses for students preparing their university applications. A significant number of students apply to study English at Oxford and Cambridge and are offered detailed support by the department during the process. 

As in all areas of the curriculum, teachers should deliver ‘quality-first’ teaching and adapt lessons to support children with barriers to learning. On an individual basis, teachers should consider any limitations that a child has in accessing the planned lesson and provide:

• Adapted tasks and correct adult support

• Lesson broken down into chunks to support working memory 

• Oral communication, as mentioned above, is the basis of promoting speaking and listening. This is incorporated into the lessons daily, to give all children the ability to express their thoughts. 

• Visual cues are incorporated into each lesson, to create a link between the book and the task set. 

• Regular opportunities to reuse/recap key concepts and vocabulary throughout the day. 

Attainment Setting and Streaming

Data informs where additional support is most needed.  This support usually involves a small group of students who are working below the expected standard being taught by a highly experienced teacher. 

In Phonics lessons, students are grouped by common gaps in code knowledge so that teaching can be tailored to the specific needs of the students.

In Y6 children who are identified as working significantly behind the expected level are supported in a smaller group setting where work is pitched at an appropriate level. 

Secondary school?

Wave 2  - Use of small group learning or inclusion intervention e.g. Lexia, Fresh Start, focus groups. 

Wave 3 - Where appropriate, 1:1 individual support, especially for students with an EHCP; this could take a variety of forms depending on whether the students’ need is academic or social and emotional. 

We have rigorous and regular assessment systems which are used to inform planning. We are conscious of workload and based on evidence our feedback policy is primarily based on in the moment feedback, live marking and whole class feedback. 

Assessment includes:

• Comparative Judgement assessments  (primary phase)

• Termly data drops

• Pupil progress meetings 

• Live feedback

• Group intervention 

• End of unit assessments 

• Editing work, peer assessing and student response

• Regular moderation 

Quality Assurance

We triangulate evidence of reading and writing across the school through book looks, learning walks, data analysis, pupil voice, pupil progress meetings and moderation.

Regular staff CPD, which is informed by our Excellence Plan and pupil need. 

Regular meetings with the English leaders and staff to support subject knowledge, development and planning. 

As a school, we utilise specialists to support staff and across the secondary phase and in the primary phase we are supported by an external provider, ‘The Literacy Tree’ who provide additional training and support to the team. 

At Dunraven, we recognise that our pupils’ learning journey begins in the Early Years and continues to Y13. By the time they leave our school, children at Dunraven have the skills and knowledge to succeed in English. They are confident speakers, read fluently and are effective writers. As a result of our curriculum, children leave Dunraven with the literacy skills required to be active citizens and to successfully read the world.

Quality first teaching supports the most vulnerable children and ensures all groups can access the curriculum. Our rigorous and regular assessment systems result in teachers identifying gaps early and putting in the required support to ensure all children make expected progress from their starting points. Appropriate and timely feedback supports this progression. 

Our programme of CPD ensures that teachers have the skills and subject knowledge to be effective teachers and they tell us that they are confident in English. More inexperienced staff are supported by more experiences to help with their induction and development to ensure excellence for all students. Teachers tell us that they are confident in teaching English and as a result children learn more, remember more and are able to do more. 

Pupil interviews tell us that children enjoy English and see themselves as readers and writers. They can talk with confidence about how they learn and what they need to do to improve. This is supported in our books with children effectively writing for a range of purposes and audiences. 

As a result of our reading curriculum most pupils leave our school as fluent readers. In primary school, KS2 2022 data was almost 10 per cent above the national average. In addition,  more of our disadvantaged children and children with SEND met the expected standard than the national average. The impact of our focus on curriculum development, CPD, quality first teaching, assessment and quality assurance is that our data writing data,  at the end of KS2, is now  expected to exceed national standards

Students’ progress is regularly monitored via the assessed elements of the key stage 3 curriculum which plots their journey from their starting point in Year 7 to the end of Year 9, so that they are ready to embark on the GCSE courses in Year 10. Performance data tells us at GCSE students’ attainment is strong as they exceed national averages at all benchmarks; overtime progress has been strong for most groups. We have also bucked the national trend of falling numbers taking A-level with more students than ever taking English Literature A-level. Their progress is consistently in the top 25% nationally and many go on to study English at University, including Oxford and Cambridge