English

St Ambrose RC Primary School - English Curriculum Intent

 “Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Human beings live not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

(Matthew 4:4)

At St Ambrose, we reflect the National Curriculum aims to:

• To have a high-quality education that will teach children to speak, write, listen and read fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, Reading allows pupils to develop in a cultural, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual way.
• Children acquire knowledge to build on what they have already learnt.
• All English language skills are essential to participating fully as members of society.
•  

In this subject:

We recognise that a good grasp of English allows children to access the whole curriculum. We believe that it is important that a love of literature will continue to strive when the pupils leave school.

At St Ambrose, we aim to spread the Word of God.  We teach children to read, write, and speak well, as these are the skills they will need to make Christ known to the world.  We have high expectations for all children’s English ability that we will enable them with skills that will allow them to communicate and express themselves in an ever-changing society.

At St Ambrose we aim to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

In English, we create opportunities for work to be celebrated, for example, publishing writing, sharing with other classes, and writing to different people and organisations.  Staff are reading role models who actively promote reading for pleasure, ultimately helping students to become lifelong readers.  Through reading a range of high-quality texts with relevant themes, we teach children about social injustice and how it can be overcome.  We teach children to be respectful and effective communicators.

Communication skills are taught throughout the whole school curriculum, especially in English, through high-quality texts and themes for writing.  In all areas, speaking and listening are key.  Early reading led by structured synthetic phonics and reading for pleasure are integral to promoting high expectations and standards across the school.

We measure the impact of the English curriculum over time by assessing how much knowledge, skills and vocabulary have been acquired and retained. To inform these judgements, teachers use regular retrieval practices, knowledge organisers, pre and post-assessment tasks, marking and pupil discussion opportunities.

In God's family, we grow and learn in love, hope and faith.

St Ambrose Stories at Bedtime

Click on the links below to access a story

Tiddler By Julia Donaldson

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside

Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson

Oi Frog! by Kes Grey and Jim Field

I Want my Hat Back by Jon Klassen

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Five Minutes Peace by Jill Murphy

Twelve Dancing Princesses by The Brothers Grimm, Retold by Suzanna Davidson

The Tiger who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

No Matter What by Debi Gliori

Cottonwool Colin by Jeanne Willis

The Great Fairytale Disaster by David Conwey and Melanie Williamson

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield

The Sulky Vulture by Sally Grindley

Duck in a Truck by Jez Alborough

Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

Sally's Secret by Shirley Hughes

Giraffes can't Dance

Oi Dog by Kes and Claire Gray

There's a Monster in your Book by Tom Fletcher

The Great Big Book of Feelings by Mary Hoffman

Angry Arthur by Hiawyn Oram

The Lion and the Unicorn by Shirley Hughes

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd

The Go Away Bird by Julia Donaldson

Pongo by Jessie Hodgson

Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson

Mog and the Vee Ee Tee by Judith Kerr

Superworm by Julia Donaldson

How Many Legs by Kes Gray and Jim Field

A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson

Charlie Cook's Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson

Beegu by Alexis Deacon

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson

Dinky Donkey by Craig Smith

Ruby's Worry by Tom Percival

The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson

The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson

Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman

Paddington by Michael Bond

Kitchen Disco by Clare Foges

Mr Tickle Saves the Day

Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

For Read Write Inc Reading books, click on the Reading Books file at the bottom of the page.

Read Write Inc.

Click here to access YouTube Speed Sounds lessons to practice at home.

This video explains how we teach children to read and write using the Read Write Inc. programme and how you can support your child at home:

RWInc. Phonics

My BookBlog in Years 2-6

'My BB' is a fantastic online resource to encourage children to read for pleasure. Our children are supported to choose one of our brand new books at their level using the blurbs, book trailers and reviews of other children. My BB supports the children through the book, enabling them to complete blogs, quizzes and collect jokes and cards. Every child from Y2 upwards has their own password and can log on at home through the link below. 

mybookblog.org/plogin/st-ambrose-rc-primar/

Here are some examples of our interactive displays, from Early Years to Year 6:

Top Tips on how to hear your child read at home

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/advice-for-parents/reading-at-home/starting-to-read-ages-4-5/

 Are you looking for a present to buy your child? Buy a book! Click here for a list of recommended reads for each age group.

Files to Download