Writing, Speaking and Listening

At Lessness Heath we aim to provide children with a wide-ranging and interesting

English curriculum that enables all children to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through their writing and conversation. We want all pupils to develop a wide vocabulary alongside a solid understanding of grammar allowing them to create pieces of writing that are both interesting and enjoyable to read.

They will also be able to spell new and interesting words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school. We believe that all good writers redraft and edit their writing over time, because of this we want children to have the skill and confidence to be able to identify areas of improvement whilst editing their work effectively during and after the writing process. With all of these skills, children who leave Lessness Heath should be able to communicate through a range of different written mediums in an appropriate manner in a variety of real-life situations.

We also believe that all pupils should be able to confidently articulate their ideas and beliefs verbally in front of both their peers and others. Alongside this, pupils should develop the skills to actively listen to others and be confident to challenge and build on other people’s views in a constructive, cohesive manner. By developing these skills, all children who leave Lessness Heath will be able to confidently and purposefully air their opinions and be part of the ‘global debate’ throughout their lives.

Reading

At Lessness Heath we believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to be fluent, confident readers who are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wide range of texts. We want pupils to develop a good knowledge of a range of authors (both classic and modern) and be able to understand more about the world in which they live through the knowledge they gain from texts.

We aim to develop an enjoyment and love of reading in pupils through encouraging conversations about literature between pupils, their peers and staff. Pupils are also encouraged to form opinions on what they are reading allowing them to be more autonomous in their reading while also being able to join wider conversations about literature. By the end of their time at primary school, all children should be able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject allowing them to increase their knowledge about the wider world. By developing these skills, all children that leave Lessness Heath will have the skills to increase their knowledge and be able to confidently and purposefully join the ‘global conversation’ throughout their lives.

As children develop their fluency in Years 3 - 6, they begin to focus on VIPERS skills, each one tailored to a reading domain. Each VIPERS skill has its own progressive structure, ensuring that our children's comprehension skills develop rapidly as they move through the school. Our complete progression guide can be accessed below: