Curriculum Subjects

Our Aim:

At Great Doddington Primary School We aim to provide a high-quality English education in which we will teach pupils to listen, speak, read and write fluently. We aim to develop enjoyment and curiosity- teaching children the essential skills and knowledge to prepare them for the next steps in their life.

We aim to inspire a love and enjoyment of reading and develop oracy through language acquisition.

The skills and knowledge of the English curriculum are taught through discrete English, phonics, reading, reading and spelling lessons.

Skills are further developed within the wider curriculum.

At Great Doddington Primary School we believe that reading is the key that unlocks all other learning for pupils, and for this reason we place reading at the heart of our curriculum. We ensure all students regardless of their profile has access to the same reading. We strive to support children to feel safe, supported and give equal chances of success. Through the texts we use we aim to reflect a diverse population that encourages social inclusion.

English curriculum Intent: 

We believe that a quality English curriculum should develop children’s love of reading, writing and oracy (spoken language). Therefore we have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. Our curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum (2014) for English to enable all children to:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• be competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

These aims are embedded across our English lessons and the wider curriculum. We believe in delivering parity through our English curriculum. In order to achieve this, our English curriculum is carefully mapped out, to ensure that it is coherently sequenced and progressive, and all Learning Journeys are linked with a thoughtfully selected high-quality text.

We ensure learning builds on prior knowledge, supporting pupils to make connections in their learning and helping pupils to develop and understand transferrable skills that they are able to apply across the curriculum, in the wider school community and as they progress through life.

Rigorous assessment and review will ensure that we are able to provide targeted support so that all children experience success within the English curriculum; we believe that a secure basis in reading and writing skills is crucial to a high quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society. We strive to ensure that children are well prepared, not only for the next phase of their education, but to be the successful in the future.

For further information on the specific areas of the English curriculum please use the relevant sections below

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Oracy

Good oracy leads to higher order thinking and deeper understanding. We therefore aim, to elevate oracy across the curriculum. 

We plan to use the PiXl framework for oracy, this breaks down oracy into 5 distinct strands:

• Listening and Responding

• Reasoning

• Organisation

• Language

• Delivery

At the centre of good oracy is purposeful, intentional dialogue in the classroom.

We aim to develop classrooms that are rich in talk, in which questions are planned, peer conversations are modelled and scaffolded, and the teacher uses talk skilfully to develop thinking and learning.

We believe a variety of opportunities for children to develop confidence in listening and oracy should be integrated into daily classroom practice, we strive to continue to weave this into all areas of our curriculum.

Additional documents for this topic can be found at the end of this section/page.

Phonics and Spelling

Spelling

Phonics and Spelling Curriculum Documents

Additional documents for this topic can be found at the end of this section/page.

Reading

At Great Doddington Primary School we believe that reading is the key that unlocks all other learning for pupils, and for this reason we place reading at the heart of our curriculum. We ensure all students regardless of their profile has access to the same reading resources and facilities as all children. We strive to support children to feel safe, supported and give equal chances of success. Through the texts we use we aim to reflect a diverse population that encourages social inclusion.

We are committed to developing a curiosity and love of reading for all. We aim for children to be immersed in a range of texts that reflect diversity in terms of race and heritage, disability, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion and culture. We encourage teachers to choose books that make children aware of the wider world beyond their immediate community.

Furthermore, we also encourage teachers to select texts that are written by a wide and diverse range of authors and illustrators. We ensure children are faced with a wide selection of texts to both develop their reading and develop their view of the wider society. These can include short stories, folk and fairy tales, myths and legends, poetry, non-fiction and picture books.

We want children to develop a passion for reading that will last a lifetime. Children are encouraged to read for pleasure and to read across the curriculum to support their knowledge and understanding in all core and foundation subjects.

Reading lessons are taught consistently as part of the weekly teaching and learning sequence of English lessons so that children are taught the skills necessary for interrogating texts. Daily reading time is used for children to practice the skills of reading and enables children time to immerse themselves in a book. Daily stories are shared in all classes from Reception to Year 6 this enables children to develop an appreciation of a text being read to them.

Reading success can be measured through vocabulary acquisition- we aim to enhance the development of language by exposing children to a rich language environment (A. Quigley, 2018).

Reading in the classroom 

Each classroom has an established book corner, and we have a central school library with a selection text that children can borrow, read, and enjoy. Children learn how to look after and respect books. Children learn how to select books they will enjoy.  We aim to develop the cultural capital within reading by ensuring all children can access quality reading material. We encourage children to read a wide range of reading material and we have available comics, newspapers, graphic novels and audiobooks across the school.   EYFS and KS1 provide opportunities for children to read and reread books that match closely to the phonics progression. Within KS2, reading books are linked to the Accelerated Reader programme. All children are regularly assessed on this system and they know their reading level in order to choose books that are correctly suited to their ability. Once finished a book, children have to complete a ‘quiz’ online, which allows them and the teachers to see their level of understanding within the books they are reading.

Teaching Reading, VIPERS

Children are explicitly taught the skills of reading (outlined in the National Curriculum and the KS1 and KS2 test domains) through the use of VIPERS which were created by Rob Smith (The Literacy Shed).

The Reading Vipers are used across the school from EYFS to KS2

Whole Class Reading Lesson Structure

Whole class reading sessions, using the VIPERS stems take place at least 3 x a week for 30 minutes.

During a typical session the teacher will share what the content domain/s the children will be focusing on for that session.

Teachers carefully select up to 4 key vocabulary words they want the children to learn that week. These will be taught, over learnt and embedded throughout the rest of the week during VIPER sessions and across the wider school day to allow for children to use these words in different contexts. Where appropriate they are applied during other curriculum lessons.

During these sessions teachers cover a range of literature including, but not limited to, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, songs, picture books, and short films. Types of text given are appropriate to the age and key stage of the children.

Children read during these sessions in a variety of different ways. They may hear the teacher model fluent reading and then have time to reread the same extract themselves, they may read individually and feedback, work in groups, take turns in pairs or read aloud to the their peers. You may see a number of these different strategies during one session.

Teachers plan key questions each session based on the content domain being focused on.

Children are encouraged to provide evidence for their answer based on a text extract or a picture they have seen in the book. Where appropriate children are encouraged to use evidence from a range of different places within the text.

Recording and Assessment during VIPERS sessions

We encourage children to orally talk through their answers. We also acknowledge it is good for children to also be able to formally record an answer so encourage this for some questions during the session.

During this reading session teachers focus on specific children during the session, this may mean hearing them read individually whilst others are reading independently, in pairs or groups, discussing answers with those children and working one to one or within a group with them during a session whilst the others form an answer independently. Teachers can then assess these children based on NC expectations and how they are performing relating to the specific content domain.

For more information on VIPERS progression, please see the documents below.

Early reading

Great emphasis is placed on developing pupil’s skills in reading from Reception, so that they are able to explore and discuss challenging texts confidently during our daily reading sessions. Both shared, modelled and independent reading has a specific focus and is a fundamental part of a child’s reading journey. Teacher’s use a range of language rich texts, so that pupils use of vocabulary and enjoyment of reading is heightened. The breadth of our curriculum ensures that pupils have access to a wide range of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.

As children journey though the school, we use a variety of reading strategies to ensure that all our pupils are confident and competent in their reading.

In Early years and Key Stage One, we recognise that all learners are individual in their approach when securing their skills. Therefore, teachers use a variety of decoding skills such as phonics and picture cues.

Our expert Phonic teaching happens on a daily basis and is taught in small, fluid groups which are based on frequent assessment so that they are reactive to the changing needs of learners. We use the Read, Write Inc. scheme to ensure the progressive development of skills, so that pupils can decode effectively. In their English lessons; pupils are provided with the opportunity to develop and embed these key skills.

Independent reading books support children at an individual level and are carefully chosen by teachers to aid and challenge our pupils with their phonic learning.

Please see our list of suggested texts below for your children to enjoy at home.

Celebrating reading

Children are encouraged to read at home both with adults and independently and this is celebrated through our 100 read initiative. We provide parents with book recommendations for each year group so they are informed about what books are suitable for their child, but we also aim to include a range of recommendations that reflect our diverse society.

Classes also use online platforms such as Seesaw and Padlet to share their home reading and book reviews. We celebrate reading events such as World Book Day and the Reading is Magic Festival. Our love of reading is further established via workshops with real life authors, both online and in school to motivate and inspire our children even further. Children and staff have taken part in a ‘Masked Reader’ competition and we have arranged book fairs. We also encourage our children to take part in reading events outside of school including joining the local library and taking part in their Summer Reading Scheme.

Reading Impact

We aim for every child at our school to be a reader. We hope that the exceptional experiences and opportunities develop confidence in our children to love and explore their own texts. We aim for our children to understand the importance of reading and consistently strive to gain high outcomes.

Reading Curriculum Documents

VIPERS Progression Document

Suggested Reading Lists

Additional documents for this topic can be found at the end of this section/page.

Writing

At Great Doddington Primary School the National Curriculum (2014) underpins the core teaching standards for writing.

High quality literature underpins our writing at Great Doddington, literature is used as a stimulus for writing.  Children rehearse, learn, and internalise the language structures of successful texts and then use these to scaffold writing. High quality texts support the exposure to a range of vocabulary. Providing high quality text for children to learn empowers our children and enhances the language development.

A whole School Coverage Grid is used to carefully map out the specific writing (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) expectations for each year group. To ensure the writing curriculum is coherently sequenced, building upon prior knowledge, and progressive. Suggested writing genres a proposed for each year group for each term. Although clear end points are identified for children’s age-related expectations, decisions about when to progress will always be based on the security of children’s’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage therefore the Whole School Coverage Grid is modified as necessary to meet the specific needs of the class.

We recognise the importance of writing as a process. Children have regular opportunities to gradually draft and develop their final pieces of writing. Children are given time to edit and improve their written work after feedback from their teacher or their peer. The teaching of grammar is interwoven into daily reading and writing lessons so that children are given the opportunity to learn grammar in context.

We encourage children’s development of language through explicitly teaching and revisiting key vocabulary across the curriculum. This enables children to deepen their understanding and provides opportunities for children to experiment with new words. Increasing vocabulary develops children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and enables them to develop the ability to communicate confidently in the future.

We use the Talk for Writing approach to teach writing throughout the school. A unit begins with teachers assessing what children can already do using ‘cold writes’. The children then orally rehearse and internalise model texts, so that they understand the patterns, structure and vocabulary required for the intended genre. Effective shared writing practice is a fundamental part of the writing process. Grammar and spellings are taught in context and discretely, where applicable. This develops into independent application of acquired skills through innovation. The writing curriculum is coherently sequenced so that knowledge and skills are revisited and built upon. This is developed across four strands: the composition of writing through ambitious models, grammatical subject knowledge, vocabulary development and awareness of authorial intent.

We ensure the child’s voice is valued and as a class agree a real-life purpose for writing. Children are encouraged to write for a reason that inspires them. This supports the writing capital in the school. 

Writing Curriculum Documents

English Writing Coverage Grid 2024-2025

Additional documents for this topic can be found at the end of this section/page.

Problem solving

Mathematics equips pupils with the uniquely powerful set of tools to understand and change the world. These tools include logical reasoning, problem solving skills and the ability to think in abstract ways. As a result, mathematical problem-solving is central to our approach. Children are encouraged to identify, comprehend and apply relevant mathematical concepts and make connections between different ideas. This develops the skills needed to approach new problems, rather than simply repeating routines without grasping the principles.

High expectations

It is vital that a positive attitude towards Mathematics is encouraged amongst all of our pupils in order to foster confidence and achievement in a set of skills that are essential to our society. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils achieve this in the key concepts of Mathematics, appropriate for their age group, in order that they make genuine progress and avoid gaps in their understanding, which provide barriers to learning as they move through education. We believe no child should be left behind and we do this by making high expectations clear – and emphasising the high value of mathematics.

Concrete, pictorial, abstract (CPA)
Objects, pictures, words, numbers and symbols are all around us. Our teaching approach integrates all of these to help children explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enhance their learning experience and deepen understanding. Together, these elements help strengthen knowledge so pupils truly understand what they’ve learnt in a maths lesson.

Depth before breadth
All learners benefit from deepening their conceptual understanding of mathematics, regardless of previous academic attainment. We believe children must be given time to fully understand, explore and apply ideas - rather than accelerate through learning. This approach enables learners to truly comprehend a concept, and the greater challenge comes from investigating it in new, multi-layered and more complex ways.

Mathematical language
The way children utilise language and write about mathematics transforms their learning. We use a structured approach to introduce and strengthen the use of mathematical vocabulary. We always ask pupils to explain the mathematics in full sentences using sentence stems to aid their learning. This is key to building mathematical language and reasoning skills.

Times Tables

Times tables are explicitly taught, they are also frequently practiced as part of the maths lesson.
Being confident with times tables is really important for children in primary school and regular practice of tables and reading are the two most valuable ways parents can support children in their learning.

To achieve well in Maths throughout school, children need to be able to recall any times tables (up to 12x) and answer within two or three seconds. This leaves no time for counting up to the answer from 2x, 3x, 4x etc. and is called ‘fluency’.

To support children with this, we have introduced PiXl Times Table app.

There are different games on the website that children can play to practise their recall of the times tables and the related division facts.

Assessment

Assessment for Learning is carried out every day within the maths lesson.  Teachers give instant verbal feedback to pupils about their work.  Summative assessment is set three times a year, children complete a PiXL assessment, which assess all blocks of learning.  PiXL provide a detailed analysis of the data and teachers use this analysis to identify implications in their future teaching to help ‘close the gaps’.  Teachers choose if they wish to use an end of unit assessment. 

The subject leader and SLT analyse the data for achievement across the school to identify the percentage of those working at expected, greater depth and commencing.  This enables class teachers and SLT to identify groups of pupils who are at risk of under achieving, in which case, intervention strategies, programmes and support are implemented. 

Termly teacher assessments are recorded on a tracking sheet, in year groups using our marking code of expected, greater depth and commencing.  For those pupils who do not take their year groups PIXL test, their results are kept on an excel spreadsheet to monitor feedback.

Times tables are assessed in accordance with the year group expectations 5 times a year. Teachers and SLT monitor this data and identify furthers of teaching.

Websites that can help you at home

Top Marks Maths Games Mad4maths Times Tables

Maths Curriculum Documents