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English

Children at Maylands are taught to read using the Read Write Inc phonics programme. As a Read Write Inc school, we are recognised for:

High standards of reading and writing
Expertly trained staff
Adopting the latest programme updates
Supporting all children to reach their full potential.

Reading is the most important skill to make a life successful. At Maylands, priority is given to ensuring that all pupils (regardless of starting points) have a level of reading to support their next stage of education.

From an excellent starting point of Read Write Inc, reading is a taught lesson for all pupils to Year 6 and the curriculum for reading is based upon the increasingly complex reading materials in Pie Corbett’s Reading Spine. As far as possible, books which support curriculum learning are used as focus texts or available for children to choose from the Reading Gardens in classrooms.

To be a competent writer, learners need a range of skills which co-ordinate to allow for fluent, legible and accurate script. Writing is taught at Maylands through units for grammar, spelling and handwriting. Learning to write different text-types is linked to wider curriculum learning for context.

The English Framework for Maylands identifies the progression and mapping of text-types for writing.

Spoken Language is prioritised at Maylands. From taught sentence stems in Reception, such as ‘please may I…?’ and the programme of Chatta used successfully from Reception to Year 6, children are expected to develop confident spoken language skills for a range of purposes.

Reading Passports

At Maylands we believe that reading is an essential life skill and we are committed to enabling our children to become lifelong readers. Through high expectations for every child we aim that children leave as fluent, competent readers ready for Secondary school. We encourage children to challenge themselves, persevere and pursue success, through the enjoyment of learning.

Please see our new Reading Passports for children in Years 3 to 6. Children are encouraged to try and read all 18 age-appropriate titles on their passport each year. The books have been selected by experts and are available in classrooms and the library. Reading Passports will provide a catalogue of their reading throughout their Key Stage 2 journey. Children will continue to earn a bookmark for every 5 chapter books read and a bookworm badge for every 25 chapter books read although book reviews need only to be completed once each half term.

Year 3 Reading Passport

Year 4 Reading Passport

Year 5 Reading Passport

Year 6 Reading Passport

Literacy

Literacy - Reading

At Drapers’ Maylands Primary School, we use the highly successful Read Write Inc. Phonics programme to teach our children to read accurately and fluently, with good comprehension. Children learn to form each letter, spell correctly and compose their ideas step-by-step. Our children do well in the Phonics Screening Check and by Year 2, the majority are fluent readers with the best chance of success in KS1. The systematic approach ensures consistency for all children and high quality teaching is delivered by all practitioners.

Ruth

We have been a “Get Reading. Keep Reading. Change Everything.” school for 6 years now.

Created by Ruth Miskin and published by Oxford University Press, the programme consists of daily engaging sessions, rigorous assessment, tracking and one-to-one support. This ensures that progress is made by every child. Ruth Miskin was awarded an OBE for services to Education in 2011 and a CBE in 2019 for services to reading. She believes that in order for a school to be successful, every headteacher needs to adopt a consistent whole-school approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling. Read Write Inc. is ours!

As a Read Write Inc school, we are recognised for:

High standards in reading and writing
Expertly trained staff, trained by a Ruth Miskin Trainer
Adopting the latest programme updates, with regular visits from our Ruth Miskin Trainer
Supporting all children, to reach their full potential

Our school uses:

Read Write Inc. Phonics
Read Write Inc. Literacy and Language
Read Write Inc. Spelling

Read Write Inc. Literacy & Language meets the demands of the national curriculum in a fun and meaningful way. It is a complete literacy programme addressing the grammar and punctuation aspects of statutory assessments and raising attainment for all children. Drama and discussion are an integral part of the programme: Literacy & Language children love writing because they have a lot to say.

Read Write Inc. Spelling embeds impressive skills, quickly and effectively filling the gaps in children’s knowledge. To keep children engaged, aliens introduce spelling rules on an exciting online spelling planet and children complete quick-fire activities in their spelling logs. Progress is accurately recorded using practice tests and teachers are trained, knowing how to move children on quickly.

The Read Write Inc programmes are carefully matched to the curriculum, giving your child the best chance of success in national assessments. The programmes ensure teachers, teaching assistants and parents feel confident with supporting all children to become fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers.

For more information and tutorials on how to support your child’s development, click here.

Our Enchanted Wood library helps to encourage a love for reading for all pupils from Reception to Year 6.

On their reading journey, early readers will be able to select books which are organized into Book Bands and then able to select from a wide range of quality texts in each classroom. Pupils are expected to read daily at home in order to practise skills learnt in school, research by using non-fiction books and electronic forms and enjoy sharing new skills with their parents and carers. Vocabulary development and comprehension skills will be equally important and focus on these through Home Learning, resources and planning will ensure progress for all pupils.

Literacy - Writing

Writing skills are taught in Reception by encouraging children to develop skills in communication, storytelling and motor skills. Writing for pleasure and purpose ensures a positive attitude in the early developmental stages. Gross and Fine Motor skills are developed alongside the spoken language and phonics skills which emerging writers need.

Writing skills are covered daily during Literacy lessons and supported by cross-curricular writing tasks to deepen and practise skills. Pupils are able to develop accuracy and confidence as writers through daily guided writing sessions with teachers. Extended writing opportunities are given for pupils to demonstrate their skills and develop written style from Year 2, increasing the range and competence of different written styles from Year 3 to Year 6.

Handwriting is taught from letter formation as part of the phonics programme to joined handwriting skills once formation is automatic. The expectation is that all pupils have fluent, neat and legible handwriting from Year 1. Pen Licences are awarded in Key Stage 2, once pupils can demonstrate consistent accuracy in joined fluent handwriting.

Spelling skills are taught from the earliest stages of Read Write Inc through to Year2. From Key Stage 2,
a formal spelling programme is in place with daily spelling practice to support accuracy for writing.

Literacy – Spoken Language

Spoken language communication is an essential skill. It determines success in writing and prepares children
to encounter the next stage of their education with confidence.

Our school ensures that pupils are given opportunities to develop confidence, vocabulary and an awareness
of purpose and audience through activities across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills are developed from the start of Reception during ‘Chatterbox time’. The learning environment is designed with spaces to talk and listen. Developing pupils’ vocabulary and spoken language skill is an important feature of our school.

We use Chatta across the school to develop spoken language skills.

Chatta LearningOur literacy scheme places emphasis on collaborative talk and we encourage pupils to be confident by developing good communication skills.

Speech and Language link intervention programmes support pupils with language difficulties and following screening for all pupils at the beginning of Reception are put into place swiftly and monitored regularly so that necessary support is established and enables accelerated progress.

Pupils are able to use language in imaginative ways from role-play opportunities to drama activities through role-play and performance to an audience.

We enable to children build confidence in performing through assemblies and productions.