Intent

At Our Lady and St Anselm's, we believe that sound literacy skills are essential for progress across the curriculum and to prepare pupils effectively for tasks of adult life.

All teachers have a responsibility to develop pupils’ competence in reading, writing, speaking and listening in their own subjects and to ensure that pupils become competent users of language, and can access the curriculum effectively and achieve their potential.

Children arrive into reception working below average within reading and writing on Development Matters. This means early emphasis needs to be put into these children acquiring the basic skills necessary to develop early within KS1. The development of literacy skills across the curriculum will be implemented according to the following guidelines:

• Schemes of work will specify how literacy skills are reinforced within their subject areas.
• Staff will follow whole school policies on marking and literacy.
• pupils lacking basic literacy skills will be identified, and the special educational needs coordinator SENCO and head of literacy will advise teaching staff on supporting pupils with reading and writing difficulties.
• All assessment and testing will take place according to the school’s Assessment Policy.
• Teachers will be expected to uphold high standards and deliver lessons of high-quality, using effective and up-to-date teaching methods and tasks.

We aim to develop pupils’ abilities within an integrated programme of Speaking & Listening, Reading & Writing.  Pupils will be given opportunities to interrelate the requirements of English within a broad and balanced approach to the teaching of English across the curriculum, with opportunities to consolidate and reinforce taught literacy skills.

At Our Lady and St Anselm’s R.C. Primary school we strive for children to be a ‘Primary Literate Pupil.’

By the age of 11 we aim for a child to be able to:

• read and write with confidence, fluency and understanding, orchestrating a range of independent strategies to self-monitor and correct.
• have an interest in books and read for enjoyment
• have an interest in words, their meanings; developing a growing vocabulary in spoken and written forms.
• understand a range of text types and genres – be able to write in a variety of styles and forms appropriate to the situation.
• be developing the powers of imagination, inventiveness and critical awareness. 
• have a suitable technical vocabulary to articulate their responses.

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Miss Fleming is our Literacy Subject Leader as she is enthusiastic about developing children's skills in preparation for their life long learning journey. She believes that laying the foundations early on makes a real difference to a child's development, which is why she has ensured high quality phonics teaching and learning occurs daily, and, reading within the Early Years is given a priority where reading is presented at every opportunity. Miss Fleming is passionate about developing the love of reading within school and has worked hard to ensure that children are provided with the very best opportunities to develop a love of reading, through timely visits to the local library; developing a reading scheme through Accelerated Reader to allow children independent choice in their reading and continually revising book choices to ensure children are continually stimulated to read for pleasure. She works regularly with other schools and agencies to ensure that teaching and learning of Literacy is at the forefront of your child's education, proving high quality texts and new methods of teaching and learning to enhance your child's progression.

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The Importance of Reading - Recent DfE Guidance July 2020

Further to the recent publication by the DfE in regards to reading, it has never been more important to the welfare and education of your child that they maintain good reading practice wherever, and whenever, possible. Below is the current advice that is recommended and will have a dramatic impact upon your child's education if just followed for at least 15 minutes a day.

1. Encourage your child to read

Reading helps your child’s wellbeing, develops imagination and has educational benefits too. Just a few minutes a day can have a big impact on children of all ages.

2. Read aloud regularly

Try to read to your child every day. It’s a special time to snuggle up and enjoy a story. Stories matter and children love re-reading them and poring over the pictures. Try adding funny voices to bring characters to life.

3. Encourage reading choice

Give children lots of opportunities to read different things in their own time - it doesn’t just have to be books. There’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, magazines, recipes and much more. Try leaving interesting reading material in different places around the home and see who picks it up.

4. Read together

Choose a favourite time to read together as a family and enjoy it. This might be everyone reading the same book together, reading different things at the same time, or getting your children to read to each other. This time spent reading together can be relaxing for all.

5. Create a comfortable environment

Make a calm, comfortable place for your family to relax and read independently - or together.

6. Make use of your local library

Libraries in England are able to open from 4 July, so visit them when you’re able to and explore all sorts of reading ideas. Local libraries also offer brilliant online materials, including audiobooks and ebooks to borrow. See Libraries Connected for more digital library services and resources.

7. Talk about books

This is a great way to make connections, develop understanding and make reading even more enjoyable. Start by discussing the front cover and talking about what it reveals and suggests the book could be about. Then talk about what you’ve been reading and share ideas. You could discuss something that happened that surprised you, or something new that you found out. You could talk about how the book makes you feel and whether it reminds you of anything.

8. Bring reading to life

You could try cooking a recipe you’ve read together. Would you recommend it to a friend? Alternatively, play a game where you pretend to be the characters in a book, or discuss an interesting article you’ve read.

9. Make reading active

Play games that involve making connections between pictures, objects and words, such as reading about an object and finding similar things in your home. You could organise treasure hunts related to what you’re reading. Try creating your child’s very own book by using photos from your day and adding captions.

10. Engage your child in reading in a way that suits them

You know your child best and you’ll know the best times for your child to read. If they have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) then short, creative activities may be the way to get them most interested. If English is an additional language, encourage reading in a child’s first language, as well as in English. What matters most is that they enjoy it.

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