"The Westgate School is a happy and vibrant community,
where pupils are encouraged to aim for excellence"
(Ofsted, September 2022)
English
"Read like a writer; write like a reader; question like a critic; think like an individual"
Our English Curriculum intends to:
Instil in pupils a passion for literature and a life-long love of reading.
Teach readers to becoming critical, analytical and evaluative readers of fiction and non-fiction.
Enable pupils to craft language so that they become convincing writers, able to communicate in their writing for different audiences and purposes.
Ensure that pupils are effective communicators in spoken English.
Why learn English?
English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. Our English course will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their listening and reading others can communicate with them. With reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Literature play a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society: pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised. The curriculum is taught as an integrated course combining the study of language and literature, which continues in Years 9 -11. Our vision is that from Reception Year onwards, all pupils develop passion and enthusiasm for English through exploring and appreciating a range of texts both literary and non-fiction and learn how to craft language to suit a range of audiences and purposes.
The English curriculum is taught as an integrated course. However, pupils will be entered for GCSE English Language and Literature as two discrete qualifications.
Phonics and Reading Schemes For Key Stage 1
At The Westgate School, we believe that a strong foundation in the Early Years Foundation Stage includes an early mastery of the basic skills in Year R, enabling all pupils to successfully access the wider curriculum as they progress through the primary years and beyond. Years 1 and 2 and Key Stage 2, Years 3 - 6 children follow the statutory national curriculum for both phonics and reading.
We use 'Bug Club' core reading programme and initial reading and writing skills are taught in Reception and Key Stage 1 classes using systematic synthetic phonics teaching, including cued articulation, providing pupils with a rigorous and thorough grounding. Handwriting skills are taught with the aim of enabling all pupils to write with a confident, joined and fluent script.