A Vision for English 2022-23

At Banister Primary School we recognise the importance of having a full command of the English language, and how it is the key to laying the strongest foundations for accessing the rest of what the curriculum has to offer. Our children will be guided through the very best of what literature has to offer through creative immersion, deep discussions, active manipulation of words and language structure whilst challenging their perceptions and opening their minds to realms that are both new and familiar to them. Our English curriculum seeks to develop critical thinkers who truly understand the craftsmanship of authors and the power words have.

Reading

The rich texts we have selected for our children to enjoy, reflect the world and times our children are currently living in, as well as inspiring new thinking using contemporary, heritage and traditional texts. Texts across the school allow our pupils to safely explore situations and conditions that may take them out of their comfort zone, giving them space to question, clarify and develop them as informed individuals. Children will have fluent reading modelled to them on a daily basis and be taught explicitly how to read aloud in an engaging and fluent fashion, building self-confidence and pride in each Banister student.  Through the explicit teaching of comprehension skills, children will develop a secure understanding of how authors’ choice of language and structure supports our overall understanding of a text. They will be able to retrieve key information which will allow them to make inferences and better understand vocabulary meaning in context, they will make more informed predictions and be able to comment on the authorial intent. By being engulfed in such a rich reading curriculum, our children will be enthusiastic independent readers who read widely for both pleasure and knowledge, giving them the tools to be life-long learners.

Writing

Considering the fundamental importance of writing in everyday life, we are driven by the need to develop each learner’s writing ability, thus enabling them to play a full part in society. Using high quality texts, animations and images, the knowledge we have gained and been inspired by in our reading is used to facilitate our ability to write. Our children will also develop their skills as orators to explore and manipulate language structures to develop their effective command of the English language, giving them the power to persuade, discuss, entertain or inform their listeners with success. Through these four purposes for communication we give focus to the authorial intent in our writing too. Banister children will be able to carefully select vocabulary and language devices to suit each purpose, taking into account their desired audience and intended viewpoint. Children will feel well equipped through our Share, Analyse, Rehearse and Guided Write sections of our writing journeys, allowing them to independently apply their knowledge and understanding of transcription and composition to produce effective pieces of writing to be proud of.