English at OLM
At OLM, we believe that English and communication are key life skills. Through the English curriculum, we will help children develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to communicate effectively and creatively through spoken and written language and equip them with the skills to become lifelong learners.
We have a real passion for reading and a love of books and Foundation Stage is where it all begins. We recognise that the development of reading is crucial to the progress children make across the curriculum and we are intent on supporting the children to become confident and effective lifelong readers. To support this, from reception to year 6 , there is always an expectation that children are being read to by the teaching staff ! We know that reading helps children to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.
The phonics scheme used at OLM to teach phonics is called 'Rocket Phonics'. Reading Planet Rocket Phonics is a Department for Education validated story-based Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. There will be nursery resources available from summer 2024.
Please click here to view the OLM Early Reading Policy
The Rocket Phonics Reading books, are primarily supplemented with the Collins Big Cat Reading scheme which are used throughout the school. In Years 3 to 6 we utilise Destination Reader methods to foster a love of reading and to teach key reading strategies.
Reading and writing is best taught through the use of high quality texts and follow the principles of CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) which particularly emphasises the importance of books and literature in enabling children to become confident, happy and enthusiastic readers and writers, CLPE has a wide variety of texts that reflect our school population and a number of the texts lend themselves to support and enhance the Geography and History units from Our Opening Worlds Curriculum e.g. Beowulf and the Anglo Saxons in Year Five. Writing in KS1 and KS2 is based on the CLPE’s Power of Reading programme. A variety of texts are mapped out on the termly curriculum maps.
Spelling Shed is used to support the teaching of spelling with each child having an individual log in to access the resources.
