English
At Ashtree Primary Academy, we know that an excellent understanding of English is a fundamental skill that allows our pupils to learn and progress in many other curriculum areas. As such, we teach English with high expectations of achievement to ensure our pupils are able to succeed.
During our English lessons, children will develop skills in transcription (spelling and handwriting), composition (thinking of ideas and structuring them in speech and writing) and in using grammar and Standard English. When teaching writing, we bring high-quality texts to our lessons and give our pupils the opportunity to explore and investigate them. Through this we are able to develop their understanding and application of the writing process in a range of different genres. We use the HfL Essential Writing programme to ensure that our pupils have a broad and balanced English curriculum.
We teach word reading and word writing through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds phonics programme. Our teaching style combines an engaging, child-friendly approach with clear explanations and plentiful opportunities for practice. Our aim is to make sure that every child is successful, and we do this by knowing where each child's individual levels are and what we need to do next to support them to make progress. We know how important repeated practice is and we are grateful to our parents for their support at home. For further information about how you can support your child at home, please click here.
Pupils develop a love of reading whilst at Ashtree Primary Academy. As well as whole class guided reading lessons, we also give a part of our day to reading aloud a class story. We have a dedicated school library that pupils regularly visit and where they are encouraged to read for pleasure, as well as individual class book corners that pupils are able to access throughout the school day. As a school, we also take part in extra-curricular days such as World Book Day, to allow our pupils to explore and engage with reading in a variety of different ways.