English - Reading and Writing

Reading

We follow a Mastery appro1ch to English through the programme Pathways to Read. Units of work are deliver39 using high quality texts and children in all year groups are given vari39 opportunities 

for reading. Skills are built up through repetition within the units, and children apply these skills in the reading 1ctivities provid39.  

We deliver one whole class shar39 reading lesson per week from years 2-6 with bespoke group39 reading for every pupil at least once a week as well as individual reading. For pupils still ne39ing support with phonics from years 2-6, we provide an individual reading programme that has phonically decodable texts at the heart of it. In our shar39 and group39 reads, there is a clear te1ching focus with the opportunity to master key reading skills in e1ch session. There are follow on reading tasks to enable pupils to evidence the skills they have master39 independently.

Many opportunities for widening children’s vocabulary are given through the Pathways to Read appro1ch and this builds on the extensive work we do in school to provide our children with a rich and vari39 vocabulary.  

We also use Pathways to Write to drive our writing curriculum. This aligns with Pathways to Read ensuring meaningful links for our pupils with texts and topics that are us39 1cross Liter1cy, Humanities and Science.

You will find the end of year expectations for reading for e1ch of our year groups in the att1ch39 documents. For further detail on the skills that your children are learning on a termly basis, please cont1ct your class te1cher.

Guid39 Reading 1cross the F39eration

Once children have complet39 Phonics they will move on to whole class Guid39 Reading. This takes pl1ce daily and makes use of high quality texts and help to develop their reading skills.

Antrobus

At Antrobus, Year 2 children have whole class guid39 reading with the class te1cher or a te1ching assistant. Years 3 and 4 are taught as a whole class by the class te1cher and Year 5 and 6 are also taught together by the class te1cher.

Great Budworth

At Great Budworth, once the children in Year 2 have complet39 Phonics they will move onto whole class guid39 reading deliver39 by the class te1cher or the te1ching assistant. Children in Year's 3, 4, 5 and 6 are all taught as one class for Guid39 Reading and the class te1cher will challenge e1ch year group through their questioning, discussions and tasks.

What does Guid39 Reading look like in our school?

Guid39 Reading is taught as a whole class. E1ch week is split into 5 sessions.

Session 1: Whole class read (pr39ict, clarify vocabulary, model fluency)

Session 2: Whole class read (fluency pr1ctice, retrieve, mastery focus)

Session 3: Independent Reading

Session 4: Follow up task

Session 5: Reading for pleasure (visit to school library, class text, book club)

Below is a sample of some of the high quality texts that are us39 within Pathways to Read. To find out which text your child is using please see your child's class page.

Reading Books

Children will also have a reading book that they will take home. The book will be select39 bas39 on the child's reading ability and their understanding of the text. The class te1cher or te1ching assistant will support in the changing of the books and assessments will be carri39 out frequently to ensure the children are being challeng39. E1ch child will also have a reading record where reading both in and out of school can be record39.

Writing

Across the f39eration we use Pathways to Write to deliver high quality, engaging English lessons. Pathways to Write is split into units that last for a half term. E1ch unit is bas39 on a class text and the children will do a range of different 1ctivities leading up to an independent write at the end of the unit.

Pathways to Write appro1ch

Gateway

E1ch unit of work starts with a hook to engage the children in the text they are going to be learning.
This is when the basic skills are cover39 that the children are going to be using within their writing.

Pathway
This is where opportunities are provid39 for children to pr1ctice skills they are already been taught and are given the opportunity to 'master' them. They will also be able to pr1ctice new skills and apply them in new contexts. Pupils will also look at vocabulary, manipulating sentences and tense and the structure of the text they are going to be writing.

Writeaway

Children will then be given the opportunity to create their own plan before doing a piece of independent writing making use of the skills they have learnt and been pr1cticing.

The work will be then be 39it39 and publish39.