English

Intent

In our English curriculum, pupils learn to understand, express ideas and convey information effectively, in both spoken and written form. Pupils from Year 3 to 6 engage in a daily one-hour English lesson in which they are taught to draft, edit and re-draft their work. Pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively as well as independently, as they develop their skills in the subject. Our aim is to ensure that quality children's literature is at the heart of all learning and use the CLPE's Power of Reading programme to raise engagement and attainment in reading and writing for all pupils.

Oracy

Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language. In school, we believe that oracy is a vital tool for learning; by teaching students to become more effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them. Our aim is that pupils leave IVJS able to fluently and confidently communicate with others. Therefore, high quality speaking and listening underpins our curriculum. In every lesson, pupils are taught to clarify their ideas and speak for different purposes, such as making formal presentations and participating in debates. Drama and role play are also used to help pupils develop their oracy skills as well as to deepen their understanding of curriculum areas.

Reading

At IVJS we put reading at the heart of the curriculum. We strive to foster a love of reading both at school and at home and believe that reading should enable children to connect with the world around them. It should open up a world of possibility and intrigue and is a fundamental life skill which, enables children to communicate effectively and equips them for the challenges they will face in the wider world.
We aim to have pupils leave IVJS as lifelong readers, who have an instilled love for reading. In order to do this, children are encouraged to read widely and are exposed to a variety of genres. Reading across all subjects within the curriculum will prepare pupils for life beyond the classroom: they will be taking with them the skills required for in-depth reading and analysis.

Writing

Writing is a key life skill as well as an important vehicle for self-expression. At IVJS, we aim to motivate our pupils so that they see themselves as writers. We encourage them to take pride in, and ownership of, their written work. They are taught to write for different purposes and in different forms, both factual and creative. We encourage pupils to consider the audience and purpose for their work and have high expectations of presentation. We believe that our pupils’ understanding of structure, language, punctuation and grammar is deepened through the Power of Reading scheme and enables them to make good progress in writing. In addition, every English lesson begins with a focus on grammar or punctuation, in order to further develop these essential skills. Spelling and handwriting are also given high priority, both within lessons and as a discrete teaching focus. Children are taught to draft, edit and redraft their work in order to improve its quality and accuracy whilst ensuring it contains all of the grammatical and genre-specific features required.