Leaders help pupils learn to read well. Pupils enjoy reading. Language development is a key focus in all learning. Pupils learn to read quickly with books that are well matched to the sounds they know. In phonics lessons, leaders use assessments consistently to support pupils’ progress. (Ofsted 2023)

"How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!" (Proverbs 16:16)

Learning To Write At Wolvey

At Wolvey, all of our English lessons are based upon high quality texts to engage and enthuse the children to write for purpose. Each class completes an hour of English a day, as well as stand alone reading lessons and phonic lessons in KS1. 

Each class also takes part in regular, short SPaG sessions to reinforce the grammar and spelling rules laid out in our Wolvey writing and grammar progression map. 

In English lessons, teachers discuss the texts, model writing, carry out guided writing, promote ideas through drama and encourage the children to write using a range of stimulus, word banks and working walls.

To support our children with spelling, we employ the online Spelling Shed platform, where the children can find their weekly homework and a play a range of games. To encourage the children to complete this homework, each week we do a "Top Ten Spellers" in our Achievement Assembly and a certificate is awarded to our top speller of the week in each key stage.  

Assessment Of Writing

Here at Wolvey, we regularly assess the children's writing using TAF sheets, based upon those created by Herts For Learning. This is carried out based upon independent writing completed across the curriculum, not only in English lessons. Writing is never completed "cold" or in test conditions. 

Writing is assessed within a month of the new academic year starting, so that gaps in learning can be established and targets for each child can be considered. 

Following that, we have regular moderation meetings throughout the year to discuss the children's progress. This includes, in school and across federation moderation and consortia moderation.

Teachers are also sent on Warwickshire led training and agreement trialling meetings so that judgements can be discussed, challenged and agreed.  

Learning To Read At Wolvey

Reading Comprehension In School

At our school, reading is taught through high-quality whole class reading sessions that develop pupils' vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and enjoyement of reading. Reading is taught in discreet 20-30 minute sessions, at least three times a week in KS1 & KS2. High quality fiction and non-fiction texts are chosen by the teachers for the children to explore (age appropriate). Teachers maintain long term records of texts used so that there is no unnecessary repetition. 

Each reading sequence begins with introducing a new text extract and exploring key vocabulary to ensure children can access and understand what they read. Teachers model fluent reading and help pupils identify the purpose and features of different text types. 

Pupils regularly practise reading aloud through paired, echo and choral reading activities, helping them develop accuracy, confidence, expression and prosody. Discussions are used to deepen understanding, encouraging pupils to explain their thinking, make predictions, infer meaning, retrieve information and summarise what they have read. 

Comprehension skills are taught explicitly through carefully planned questioning and activities that focus on vocabulary, retrieval, inference, prediction, explanation and summarising. This structured approach ensures that all pupils become confident, fluent and thoughtful readers. 

Each term, the children are given an assessment to monitor their progress so that intervention sessions can be set up for children who are not making at least expected progress.

In our KS2 classrooms, we have high utility words displayed that we encourage the children to use to explain their thinking. As they become more familiar with them, we see that they use them more and more in other subjects too.

Speaking & Listening At Wolvey 

Here at Wolvey, we understand the importance of speaking and listening skills, if the children are to become successful readers and writers. We use drama and talk activities as a way to generate ideas that then filter into the children's independent writing. 

The children are encouraged to take part in drama activities and the progression of skills is monitored carefully through the use of the progression map below.