English is a highly valued core subject at St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy. The academy seeks to inspire pupils with a positive attitude towards English and towards the general development of their skills in Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing. We aim to set our pupils on a path of successful life-long learning by becoming confident and competent users of the English language in the academy and in their everyday lives. Pupils are offered opportunities to develop their English skills across all areas of the curriculum.
The children partake in a daily English lesson where they are taught knowledge, skills, and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. The academy adheres to the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Scheme’ to teach phonics and to support our children in the development of early reading skills. Following on from this, children progress on to the ‘Oxford Reading Tree Scheme’ as they become more fluent, independent readers.
In Writing, the academy follows the ‘Talk for Writing Approach’ developed by Pie Corbett – a methodology which supports children to move from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in our children to write creatively and powerfully.
Further aspects of English teaching are undertaken outside of the main English lesson, including spelling, handwriting, individual reading time, speaking and listening opportunities, along with other aspects of cross-curricular English.
