English

At New Bridge School we believe a high quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. We want our young people to participate as fully as possible as members of society by learning how to speak, read and write to the best of their ability. Our English curriculum also contributes to the formation and development of general competences needed to live and work more effectively, to learn other subjects and for lifelong learning.

Speaking & Listening

Speaking and listening to others is fundamental to our curriculum. Lessons encourage pupils to extend their vocabulary and spoken language skills for a variety of audiences and purposes. Pupils are given opportunities to elaborate on their ideas and clearly explain their understanding of othe

Teachers use a repertoire of activities to create real dialogue and depth of thought. These include:

• teacher-pupil talk
• pupil-pupil talk
• questioning
• presentations
• discussions
• debates

Reading

Pupils follow the Rapid Plus scheme. This is a phonics-based approach for older pupils. In addition, we use Reading Plus to assess pupils and track progress in accuracy, fluency and comprehension. All pupils are encouraged to read for enjoyment and have access to eBooks/audio books through Epic and Borrow Box apps.  Through guided reading and class discussions, pupils are encouraged to develop their comprehension skills and to practise deeper thinking and reasoning.

Writing: Composition

Using a picture, poem or sentence as a starting point, pupils are encouraged to take part in discussions to prepare their writing piece. Technology is used to allow pupils to draft and edit written text. Interactive, technological and practical activities assist pupils in developing spelling, grammar and handwriting skills.

Accreditation

At Key Stage 4 pupils follow the EDEXCEL English Entry Level Functional Skills or Functional Skills Level 1 syllabuses.

Specialist Support and Interventions

All areas of literacy can create significant barriers to learning. Where required, intervention groups are created to focus on developing these skills through structured learning schemes.

Examples of one-to-one and small group intervention groups include:

• The Hickey Multi-Sensory Approach for supporting pupils with dyslexia-like tendencies
• The Hyperlexia Reading Kit for developing comprehension skills
• Visualising and Verbalising for developing comprehension skills