Our vision is to foster a love of language and literature through the use of quality texts and books; this inspires, excites and engages our children. Giving children access to a variety of literature is extremely important for their success.
An emphasis on reading
At Britannica, we aim to foster a love of language and reading and, therefore, attach great importance in enabling our children to become fluent readers. In Reception and Year One we follow the ‘Letters and Sounds’ phonics programme, supported by actions used in the ‘Jolly Phonics’ programme. This teaches children the sounds and tricky words needed to support them with their reading and writing. From Year Two this is then followed by teaching the skills needed to read and write words. Grammar and punctuation are taught both explicitly and implicitly within English lessons. We don’t view English as a standalone subject and teachers ensure that grammar skills are effectively embedded into the children’s everyday work.
Multiple ways to approach reading
Children will experience a wide range of authors and text types during their time at Britannica. We approach reading in three different ways; through reading for pleasure, reading across the curriculum and teaching reading skills explicitly. We aim to instil a passion for reading throughout the school and hold an annual Book Week. The children have access to a range of different reading books, predominantly those within the Oxford Reading scheme, Jelly & Bean and Songbirds alongside Reading A-Z which is used during our focused Guided Reading sessions. By providing the children with a range of books it ensures that they are not only matched to their ability but also allows them to experience a range of writing styles and text types.
Learning to write for various purposes
At Britannica, children are encouraged to use their knowledge of texts to write for a variety of purposes such as: explanations, instructions, reports, arguments, stories and poems. They learn to plan, draft, revise, edit and present their work, before evaluating the success of their writing. As they progress through school, the children are encouraged to write in a neat, legible style using a cursive script.
Developing students’ confidence in listening and speaking
Speaking and listening are an integral part of not only English but also the wider curriculum in order to encourage self-confidence, imagination and empathy. Talk for Writing techniques are utilised as a vehicle to develop children in their confidence of speaking and their understanding of a story structure. Communication is a key feature of many aspects of our curriculum especially as many of our children have English as a Second Language.
