INTENT STATEMENT

At Woolton Primary School we have high expectations and believe that all pupils are able to progress in their development of reading, writing and oracy. Our priority is to foster a love of learning throughout the curriculum and enable pupils to develop their reading and writing for enjoyment. Pupils are taught to read fluently and with understanding, demonstrating comprehension within both fiction and information texts, beginning in Early Years and building upon this as they progress through school. We recognise that children need the opportunity for reading and writing in many forms and ensure that this is modelled through the use of high quality texts and quality first teaching. Aspirational vocabulary is at the heart of our reading, oral and written work and pupils are given a range of contexts in which to express themselves. Grammatical knowledge is woven throughout the English curriculum and the explicit and consistent teaching of transcription skills enables pupils to acquire and perfect the tools necessary to make progress in their writing.  

We take pride in the wealth of texts available to pupils at Woolton, reflecting a diverse and culturally rich experience for readers. The needs of all groups of pupils are met through our reading and writing offer and we aim to provide an equitable experience with the use of tailored support and interventions. At Woolton, we aim to inspire pupils who can write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style to suit a range of audience and purpose. Oracy is highly valued in supporting this process and we celebrate the art of speaking and listening in all aspects of our curriculum.

IMPLEMENTATION STATEMENT

We have a rigorous approach to writing at Woolton Primary, aiming for progression and
consistency throughout the school. At the heart of our writing curriculum is Ready Steady
Write (RSW) based on quality texts and modelled examples which build independent writing in all
aspects of the curriculum. RSW incorporates the National Curriculum Programmes of Study
and allows the pupils to acquire new skills each term whilst simultaneously reviewing and
consolidating existing knowledge. Grammar is central to the teaching of writing and all pupils
receive daily input on sentence accuracy. The teaching of transcription skills is explicit with
daily opportunities to practice spelling and handwriting. Letterjoin is used from Reception to
Year 6 to provide this consistency and regular CPD is given to staff to refresh their
professional knowledge. In addition to RSW, staff offer incidental writing opportunities across all subjects for pupils to write creatively, independently and in response to a range of stimuli, fostering a love
for writing. The pupil’s written work is celebrated throughout our learning environment and
the use of working walls and experiential writing is evident in all classrooms.
Assessment of writing is reviewed regularly with cross moderation, standardisation exercises
and Assessment for Learning (AFL) strategies. All groups of children are supported to achieve their best outcomes through differentiated teaching approaches, directed adult support and intervention
strategies.
Reading at Woolton Primary begins at the start of our pupil’s journey with the use of shared
texts and oral storytelling. The teaching of phonics is a key strength, following the Read Write Inc (RWI)
programme daily in lower school and progressing to independence as the children gain skills
and confidence. Pupils are supported to read with fluency and for good understanding,
nurturing a love for books and an expectation to read for pleasure. Parental support is central
to this, as is the regular review of the school Reading Spine and class libraries. Our wide
range of texts, class libraries and school Rainbow Reader scheme celebrates and reflects
who we are and offers a window to a wider, cultural world.
Research into reading has played a large role in how we teach Guided Reading and we have
been a Liverpool Reading Hub school in recent years, working alongside Dr Wayne Tennant
of Brunel University. Dr Tennant is a leader in the pedagogy of reading and his high quality
CPD has enabled us to provide a framework for a school wide understanding of the teaching
of comprehension.
As a school, we work collaboratively to monitor the progress of reading and to review assessment processes, including formative and summative assessment. The use of Learning
Walks, book monitorin and Pupil Voice provides a reflection of practice and promotes a shared
and collective vision for staff.
We implement an oracy rich curriculum and recognise the value of verbal strategies as part
of the learning process. Throughout the curriculum we plan for all features of oracy to be
applied, including paired talk, drama and the EEF Shrec model. (Share attention, Respond,
Expand and Develop conversation).

IMPACT STATEMENT

The impact of our English curriculum is evident in Pupil Voice, attitude to learning and
teacher assessments. Children are enthusiastic and competent writers who use a
consistently joined font as they progress through school. They read and write for pleasure
and information, varying the necessary skills according to the intended outcome. Children
are able to talk with confidence and prosody, sharing their opinions and knowledge with a
variety of audiences and using aspirational vocabulary.
Staff are secure in their judgements and can assess with accuracy against the NC outcomes.
All pupils make progress with adaptations for SEND, EAL and PP children.