English is taught every day at Chapter House from Early Years in Nursery and Reception, to Key Stage Two.
Each year, children build on the foundations by developing their skills in reading, writing, handwriting, phonics, spelling, and grammar.
|
|
Championing EnglishSkills in reading, listening, speaking, and writing are woven into every aspect of learning at Chapter House. Across all subjects, lessons are taught in a vocabulary-rich environment to equip your child with the confidence and competence to communicate clearly. Reading is also championed at Chapter House, with dedicated time every day for each class to enjoy a book together or visit the library.
|
Early Years Foundation Stage
Teaching phonics, listening to sounds and writing letters begins as soon as your child starts at Chapter House. At Nursery and Reception, “Magic Moment” sessions (short bursts of planned activities) teach children phonics and handwriting whilst incorporating play into learning. Curiosity and a love of learning inspire the teaching of English, and this is reinforced using play as a component of teaching.
Key Stage One
English lessons are based on the topic work of the term where possible. For example, in Year 1, students will learn how to write factually while exploring the continent of Africa as part of their topic, 'Home and Away'. In Year 2, students will learn how to read and write non-fiction through their topic on The Great Fire of London.
Children practise phonics every day and have guided reading sessions twice a week. Reading plays a significant role in children's learning and helps build their confidence, which is why we have introduced ‘Reading with Indy’ sessions. Indy is our lovable reading dog who adores listening to children read.
In Years 1 and 2, children have weekly handwriting practice to improve their letter formation and practise letter joins, developing their cursive writing skills in preparation for Key Stage Two.
Key Stage Two
When children reach Key Stage Two, English lessons become more advanced, building on grammatical and reading skills.
Year 3 students learn how to structure paragraphs, create complex sentences, and include dialogue in their writing. They receive weekly spelling tests and handwriting tasks linked to their phonics practice. In Year 4, children practise narrative writing inspired by class texts and home reading. Finally, in Year 5, students learn advanced punctuation and practise writing using a variety of sentence structures. Both Year 4 and Year 5 have weekly grammar sessions and spelling tests. The teaching of grammar and punctuation is integrated into writing sessions.
Many lessons are linked to topic work and are inspired by students' observations and interests within and outside of lessons.
