Learning English
At Foxes Piece School we recognise that English is a core subject within the National Curriculum. A central concern of all our teaching is to develop high standards of literacy, to equip children to communicate effectively to enable them to become independent learners. We also recognise the importance English plays in the social, emotional and imaginative development of pupils as they use language to make meaning of the complexity of human experience and communicate with the world at large.
Speak, Listen, Learn (Engaging in Discussion)
At Foxes Piece School we recognise the importance of spoken language and engagement in discussion. Oracy is foundational to children's cognitive, social and emotional development. It supports reasoning, critical thinking and collaboration, laying the groundwork for success across the curriculum and in life generally. We want our children to have the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through speaking, listening and communication. There is a focus on learning vocabulary in all subjects and and teachers use dialogic teaching to engage students in meaningful, cognitively challenging discussions.
Learning Reading
Foxes Piece School is passionate about reading at school and we have a clear, consistent, whole school approach. We have teachers who have a passion for reading themselves and work hard to instil a love of reading and books with all our children. Pupils’ reading skills accelerate at our school because of the good teaching of linking phonics, whole class reading and the carefully targeted use of interventions with those who require additional support to accelerate their reading. In our school, every teacher reads aloud to their class every day.
We teach reading through phonic lessons, whole class reading (Yr2-6), paired reading (YrR-1), individual reading and comprehension studies. We follow the Twinkl Phonics - a synthetic phonics programme. We are proud of the range of diverse books within our reading spine throughout the school so children (in Year 6 for example) could one day be reading a classic such as 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' and then move to a more contemporary book such as 'Can You See Me?' exploring themes such as autism, friendship, transition, bullying and mental health.
Our School Reading Scheme
Children, still accessing reading through phonics, use decodable books appropriate to their level phonic skills and knowledge. After that they become 'free readers' and have a vast range of text rich and enjoyable books to choose from (class book corners and KS libraries). This has been proven to extend their vocabulary and increase their passion and love for reading.
