English
English Curriculum
High quality literature is at the heart of our English curriculum at Keston. Most of our writing is based on CLPE Power of Reading texts which help develop a love of both reading and writing across the school. Other writing is based around our curriculum, taking advantage of exciting cross-curricular links that engage all learners. Our English teaching objectives are taken from the National Curriculum programmes of study to ensure a progression of skills are taught developing both compositional and transcriptional skills in writing.
Every one of our staff is committed to ensuring our children become fluent readers who understand what they are reading and articulate writers in order for them to access all curriculum areas now and going forward. We know the importance of spoken language and how it underpins reading and writing.
We have a strong belief that children deserve to study and listen to whole books and not just extracts – we are convinced it is the only way they will learn to love literature. We teach reading skills initially through phonics and as children gain more confidence we look at the reading domains through reading lessons. For these lessons we use good quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry to explore a range of reading skills and develop a love of reading and their comprehension skills. From Nursery and Reception to Year 6, we have a strong ethos of reading for pleasure. In Reception, children take home books of their choosing to share with an adult alongside a book that matches their phonic knowledge and this continues until the end of key stage 1. In key stage 2, children get an opportunity to borrow books from our library on a weekly basis to read alongside a book at their level from our vibrant book corners. We understand that nurturing reading for pleasure is vital to enhance children’s life chances.
Speaking and Listening
At Keston our aim is for children to learn to communicate their thoughts, ideas and opinions clearly and succinctly, as well as to listen to and reflect on the ideas of others. We encourage children to turn-take in conversations and adapt their speech to a range of situations and audiences. From an early age, the children are encouraged to participate in a range of activities such as drama and role-play.
Writing
Writing is developed from an early age by mark making and activities to develop fine motor skills.
We aim for our children to develop their ability to write in a wide range of genres, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
In KS1 children are taught to use finger spaces, full stops and capital letters and progress to using other forms of punctuation such as question and exclamation marks. They are taught about using engaging and meaningful vocabulary to make their writing interesting. By the end of KS1, pupils begin to edit and improve their writing.
In KS2, pupils develop competence in the accuracy of grammar, punctuation and spelling and the structure of text composition. Children are taught the skills of planning and drafting an extended piece of writing, organising their work coherently and the processes of evaluation and editing. Pupils will apply their skills through a range of genres, considering vocabulary and structures appropriate for the purpose and audience.
Reading
At Keston Primary School, we believe that reading is the key to unlocking learning and enriching lives. We are committed to developing fluent, confident and enthusiastic readers who read widely, think critically and develop a lifelong love of reading.
Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils progress from developing language, communication and phonological awareness in the Early Years, through systematic phonics teaching with Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, to becoming skilled readers who can comprehend, analyse and evaluate increasingly complex texts.
Our reading curriculum is built around high-quality and diverse texts that broaden children's knowledge of the world, develop empathy and expose them to rich language and vocabulary. Reading is taught as both a subject in its own right and a gateway to learning across the curriculum.
As a Rights Respecting School, we recognise every child's right to access high-quality literature that reflects the diversity of the world around them and broadens their understanding of the experiences of others. Through carefully selected texts, pupils develop empathy, respect and an understanding of different perspectives, supporting them to become informed, compassionate and responsible members of society.
Through explicit teaching, vocabulary development, purposeful discussion and our whole-school VIPERS approach, pupils learn to understand, interpret, question and respond to texts using evidence to justify their thinking. We place oracy at the heart of reading lessons, ensuring pupils can articulate ideas, discuss texts thoughtfully, debate viewpoints and engage in meaningful book talk.
Our Reading Learning Journey ensures that pupils develop as strategic readers through a carefully planned progression of decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking. Reading is underpinned by rich talk, purposeful discussion and authentic engagement with high-quality texts. We aim for every child to see themselves as a reader and understand the transformative power of reading both within school and beyond.
We recognise that reading fluency is essential for successful comprehension.
Alongside reading for learning, we prioritise reading for pleasure through daily storytime, class novels, reading events and exposure to a wide range of authors, genres and text types.
