At Deanesfield, we are dedicated to developing spoken and written language skills that enable children to thrive in all areas of the curriculum. Our overall aim is to create able communicators in spoken and written English. We also want our children to become confident and fluent readers who are passionate about books and who develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually and socially through what they read. 

Reading

Through a range of quality, challenging texts the children will develop their reading skills; they will gain the knowledge they need to decode words, explore vocabulary and deepen their understanding of what they have read.

We believe children should be immersed in rich literature and be given opportunities to investigate diverse and representative characters, positive role models, high level vocabulary, a range of genres and various authors.

By regularly visiting our school libraries, our classes can find, choose and share books. Storytime and book talk is a priority in all year groups. We also take part in author visits, local library visits and book events to enthuse a love of reading.

In Early years, children learn to decode through our synthetic systematic phonics programme – Bug Club Phonics. This allows them to develop their phonetic knowledge in a fun and engaging way to begin their reading journey.

Throughout the school, the children have access to a range of books that match their phonetic ability as well as books to take home and read for pleasure.

In English lessons, children are able to spend time delving into captivating books where they can practise a range of reading skills and build upon their knowledge of language.

We believe it is essential to provide an environment where learning to read and a passion for books is nurtured.  

Writing

At Deanesfield, we use a range of strategies to develop exciting and imaginative writing. We follow a writing process that allows children to examine the way a writer’s choice can affect the reader before embarking on their own creative journey that will lead to independent written work.

Our writing units allow pupils to develop skills gradually to ensure that all children feel empowered to succeed. Our classrooms offer opportunities to take part in drama activities, share ideas and perfect work over time with a focus on vocabulary. Regular feedback from staff means that pupils understand their own next steps and strive to improve their writing.  

The children will learn how to use accurate punctuation and grammar throughout their education as well as practise handwriting, spelling and compositional skills. Short texts, images, text extracts and novels are used to enhance understanding of language and composition. Children learn how to edit their own work with increasing confidence, as well as plan and ‘publish’ writing for a range of purposes such as fiction, non-fiction and poetry.