English / Literacy

English Teaching at Sevenoaks Primary School

English teaching here at Sevenoaks Primary is lively, engaging and involves a carefully planned blend of approaches that direct children’s learning. The children are challenged to think, be creative and acquire the wide range of skills involved in this curriculum area in order to communicate confidently and effectively and to succeed throughout their lives. Spoken Language, Drama, Reading, Writing, Grammar, Spelling and Handwriting are all incorporated into the English curriculum. Although the learning focus of a lesson may give greater weight to learning in a particular area of English, they are strongly interdependent.

Here, an older pupil reads one of her favourite books to a younger child, on World Book Day.

Learning English through topics

The English skills and knowledge that children are expected to learn is set out in the new National Curriculum for English (2014). Much of our English work is taught through a topic based approach to learning. Year group staff map out how to lead the children to the intended learning through a broad range of activities, making appropriate links to other subject areas. In this way, the children make links between ideas and use and apply their learning across the curriculum.

Challenging Children to be the best they can

Children know that they can discuss and seek help as and when they need to. They like to be challenged and enjoy the opportunities to practise and apply their learning. Over time, the children identify their attainment and recognise the progress they have made. They support one another in whole class, group and paired work and are happy to share their ideas and to explain their reasoning and methods. Children who need more support than others are identified quickly and receive early intervention to help them maintain their progress. The pitch and pace of the work is sensitive to the rate at which the children learn, whilst staff ensure that expectations are kept high and good progress is made by all children.

The children enjoy getting involved in the Christmas Pantomime, where traditional stories come to life!

Activities & events to inspire

Sevenoaks Primary school’s English teaching is supported by a range of volunteers. Some share reading books with children, such as ‘Beanstalk’ and our own ‘Gerald’s Reading Army’. (If you would like to get involved, please contact the school.)

In addition, we use many web-based resources to support English learning, such as ‘Bug Club’ and ‘The Power of Reading’. We participate in writing competitions, World Book Day events and encourage public speaking through class assemblies, Nativities and a major school production every year.

Ultimately, we want the children to be stimulated and thoroughly enjoy their English learning, giving them the essential skills to step forward in life with confidence.

Over the Rainbow

Sister Act Two: Back in the Habit

We Will Rock You

World Book Day

Sharing books across the school

Jabberpen

‘Twas Scribbly and the Berol feltips

Did model and pose in WHSmiths

All Bic were the Biros,

And the Hybrids did twist and turn.

Beware the Parkers my son!

The ink that splodges, the nib that scratches!

Beware the Pilot pens and the cheap

Rip off Faber Castels.

He put his pointed Inoxcrom in hand

Long time the Tipex foe he sought.

So rested he by the Crayola tree

And stood a while in thought.

And as in Sussex Stationers he stood

The Jabberpen, with it’s red coat.

Came drawing through the factory wood,

And blotted as it came

One two! One two! And through and through

The sharp Gimne Gel went splatter splat.

He left it blunt and with its lead,

He went doodling back.

And hast thou slain the Jabber pen,

Come to my shop my beamish Unibal.

Oh marvellous day! Pen pusher! Horray!

He exhorted with joy.

‘Twas scribbly and the Berol feltips

Did model and pose in WHSmiths.

All Bic were the Biros