At Northbourne we aim to teach pupils the use of spoken and written language confidently and confidently and value the importance of these vital skills in all subjects.  We follow the National Literacy Strategy and teach English through a variety of exciting and interactive methods.

Reading

Every class in Northbourne has a book corner.  We value the good range of books in every class including fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Children are able to take a book home from when they first start school.   We use a variety of reading schemes alongside ‘real’ books so that children can experience a wide range of books and gain a real interest and desire to read. Younger pupils are taught phonics everyday so they can build and blend words using letter sounds.  Older children explore and analyse different text types, keeping a reading journal to record their thoughts and ideas.

During ‘book weeks’ we promote reading through author visits, dressing up as book characters and lots of other exciting activities.

Writing

Children are taught to write for many different purposes at Northbourne.  We make writing tasks relevant to different curriculum areas and aim for every child to write fluently and accurately by the time they leave school.  Children are taught handwriting systematically and begin to join their handwriting in year 2.  Every child is taught to develop originality and independence in their writing.

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening is an important part of the curriculum.  Children need to be able to express themselves well to be confident writers.  At Northbourne children are taught to speak and listen through drama, group work and activities such as story telling.

ICT and Literacy

The use of ICT resources, such as the interactive whiteboards for reading electronic texts, digital video cameras for filming and evaluating drama work and writing emails to children in our partner schools across the world enriches the curriculum and motivates children in their learning.

Developing literacy at home

We recognise the importance of the family in supporting a child’s language development as a speaker, reader and writer.   We have a home school link book to record reading at home and parents are given guidance on how to support their child’s literacy skills through parent meetings.