At Christ the King, we want all of our pupils to be capable readers, writers, spellers and speakers, who can transfer their English skills to other curriculum subjects and who are prepared for the next steps in their education. We know the value of excellent vocabulary and this is developed and practiced across our curriculum constantly.
Our pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure and to read widely through our reading scheme, class reading areas and the school library.
We develop writing skills so that our children have the stamina and ability to write at the age expected standard. We also intend to create writers who can re-read, edit and improve their own writing, and enable pupils to be able to confidently use the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and grammar.
We promote the importance of written work by providing a writing purpose and opportunities for children’s writing to be displayed around school, read aloud and listened to by an audience. We intend that pupils learn how to understand the relationships between words, word meaning and implied meaning within writing lessons, whilst ensuring that children are supported in their spelling strategies.
Writing key skills
Below is our progression of writing key skills document.
This document outlines the writing key skills that are taught at each phase and year group.
Examples of Writing displays around school
Autumn 1 2023 English in Year 1
During this half term, we have read the book 'Harry the Happy Mouse', and looked at non-fiction texts and videos based on mice. During the creating interest, reading, and gathering content phases of the narrative unit, we shared and explored in detail the text 'Harry the Happy Mouse' by N.G.K. We took part in a range of reading response lessons, during which short writing opportunities, both modelled and independent, featured. The children then used this content to write an extension to the book, adding further detail about how an animal helped another character in the story. A non-fiction unit was then carried out. In this unit the children listened to facts about mice, learnt the facts and then wrote the mice facts.
Autumn 1 English in Year 2 2023
During this half term, we have looked at the book 'A way for Wilf' and looked at non-fiction texts based on wolves and safari animals.
During the creating interest and reading phases of the narrative unit, we shared and explored in detail the text The Way Home for Wolf by Rachel Bright. We took part in a range of reading response lessons, during which short writing opportunities, both modelled and independent, featured. As part of the gathering content section, a non-fiction unit was embedded within the sequence, in which children had the opportunity to create a page for an information book based on their chosen animal. This was facilitated through both modelled and independent writing. Upon returning to the narrative unit, children then used this content about their chosen animal to inform the writing of their own story based on the original text The Way Home for Wolf.
Autumn 1 2023 English in Year 3
In English this half term we have been reading Michael Bond's Paddington Bear. We have learnt how to punctuate speech, practised our use of conjunctions and used prepositions. We have written diary entries as Paddington Bear and written letters to Aunt Lucy in Peru, keeping her up to date with all of Paddington's adventures. At the end of all our work on Paddington Bear, we wrote our own stories, based on the events of Paddington, but using a character we had created ourselves. Here is some of our work.
Autumn 1 2023 English in Year 4
During Autumn 1, we learned lots of fascinating facts about the Loch Ness Monster and wrote our own magazine articles about it. After lots of speaking and listening activities and reading analysis, we gathered ideas for our own stories. The children developed their sentence level skills and included some dialogue in their stories.
Autumn 1 2023 English in Year 5
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
During this unit, the children studied evacuation during World War II and engaged in a reading phase, short and longer writing opportunities including diaries, poetry and narrative writing. In the reading phase, the children took part in reading response and reading analysis lessons before gathering content for a final independent, extended write.
Autumn 1 2023 English in Year 6
In Year 6 this term, we have based our work on The Nowhere Emporium by Ross Mackenzie. This amazing story inspired us to write in a range of styles and for different audiences, and also helped us develop our grammar, punctuation and spelling skills, and our speaking and listening skills.