Our Reading Statement of intent:

Reading is a fundamental life skill and, therefore, we endeavour to develop the full potential of all our pupils so they leave Echelford as confident, literate readers. 

We encourage all pupils to read widely across a range of challenging, high-quality texts to develop their vocabulary and skills of fluency and comprehension, as well as fostering a life-long passion and appreciation for reading.  Through reading, a child is able to visit new places, meet a range of characters and explore new ideas.  As a result, we strive to embed a culture of reading; placing it at the core of all we do.  Time to read independently, in a group and as part of a whole class is highly valued and prioritised.

Early reading skills are developed through a structured synthetic phonics programme.  These daily sessions provide pupils with the opportunities to practice and apply skills, such as oral blending, in a structured, engaging way.  A rigorous approach equips pupils with the foundations on which to become successful, enthusiastic readers

Our Writing Statement of Intent:

Writing is a crucial life skill and lies at the heart of our curriculum at Echelford.  Our intent is to provide children with the skills to write fluently and communicate their ideas and emotions to others effectively. As well as, to develop their love for writing across the whole curriculum. Regular opportunities are given across the whole school for children to use and apply the written and spoken language skills they have acquired. This can be through trips and visits, exciting hooks to capture their imagination as well as using high quality texts to engage and excite children.

The curriculum across the school is thoroughly thought out and progressive, which ensures children build on their skills and knowledge and have the chance to develop their skills in a range of writing, such as narrative and non-fiction. Every week children have the opportunity to plan, write, edit and improve their writing and as they progress through the school further emphasis is added to developing an awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. We also intend for children to leave school being able to use fluent and legible handwriting and explicit time is given each week to practise and improve this skill. With regards to Spelling, teachers show children how to understand the relationships between words as well as how to work out and clarify the meanings of unknown words and words with more than one meaning. 

Above all, we aim for children to take pride in their writing and presentation and as a school we celebrate and share our children’s successes with each other.