English
At our school, language acquisition is paramount to ensuring children access the whole curriculum effectively. We strive to be good role models as we interact with children and value quality dialogue. The use of first hand experiences, quality texts across the curriculum and artists work further develops children’s understanding of questioning, language and builds up a purposeful and meaningful vocabulary.
We are a reading school. We instill a love of reading in our children through providing them with daily opportunities to read and tell stories with adults and peers. A systematic approach to teaching phonics ensures children develop fluency and confidence in reading and spelling.
At Whitefield Infant School and Nursery we aim to develop the abilities of all children to communicate effectively in language and in writing; to listen with understanding and to become enthusiastic and responsive readers so that they can cope with the language demands in adult life.
We follow the principles set out in the National Curriculum. Language and Literacy skills are taught on a daily basis in Reception and Key Stage 1. These skills are then applied in cross curricular learning opportunities. Language and Literacy specific teaching and learning takes place within a whole class setting (shared/modelled reading and writing) and within ability-led guided reading and writing groups. Within guided groups, good practice is shared and modelled and the children also work independently or with a partner on set tasks. Teachers use a variety of interactive teaching methods to deliver the curriculum and achieve set learning objectives. These learning objectives are then assessed with this assessment feeding into planning for the next Literacy session.
The Nursery and Reception classes have an exciting and relevant role-play area and a well-resourced writing area. These allow adults to model extended vocabulary and encourages writing through purposeful, meaningful contexts.
In the Foundation Stage, emphasis is on teaching Literacy through role play, stories, storytelling, big books, guided reading and home reading. The children are immersed in a language-rich environment, both indoors and outdoors.
In Key Stage 1 units of work are planned using the National Curriculum statutory guidance, which are linked in context to the current topic. These units cover the phases of the ‘Writing Sequence’. All the units are based on carefully chosen high quality books with supporting texts for each topic. Each Literacy Plan (lasting between 1-3 weeks) covers outcomes for Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. Each plan has a writing outcome with a particular purpose and audience in mind. Over the year each year group will cover a balance of narrative, non-fiction and poetry text types. A clear set of end of year expectations are followed by each year group and incorporated into planning and assessment.
Visit to Nelson Library
Nelson Library very kindly invited our Year 2 children to go and watch an adaptation of a Shakespeare play, performed by the staff at the library. The play included all the characters from the Lancashire Reading Trail. The play had everyone laughing and inspired the children with their own reading and writing.
The Great Fire of London 'Play in a Day'
Altru theatre company came in to school to work with our Year 2 children to create a play in a day! The children rehearsed the play ready to perform to their parents and year 1 children at the end of the day. This really enhanced the children's learning about the great fire of London and lots of new drama skills were learnt. A great day had by all!
World Book Day
To celebrate World Book Day, each child and adult brought in their favourite book from home. We had a lovely day sharing stories, talking about our favourite books and writing reviews to encourage others to read our book.
Our classroom environments support children's vocabulary development and helps them with their writing.
Year 2 have emailed the author of 'Mr Wolf and the Three Bears', Jan Fearnley some of their creative writing.
Phonics areas in all classrooms allow children to practice and apply their phonics skills throughout the day.
Reading, writing and storytelling opportunities in the EYFS
Goldilocks says sorry!
Teacher demonstration of writing throughout the school shows a build up of skills.
Story telling in Year 2
Year 2 worked with story teller and artist, Creeping Toad, to create and plan their own adventure stories based on Chris Judge's stories, 'The Great Explorer' and 'The Lonely Beast'.
Children found objects in the forest school that their explorer might need.
They created a camp for their explorer to keep safe.
Then children planned a problem their explorer might encounter and recorded their ideas on a story map.
Rosy's Lost Jewels by Faizah
The Lost Friend by Sahil
The Lonely Toothfairy by Alishbah
We Are Reading Project
Our Year 2 children have been involved in a project with the Year 5 children from Lomeshaye Junior School. Here are some of the letters the children wrote to one another.
Letters from Year 5 children
Replies from our Year 2 children to Year 5
We Are Reading Project
Congratulations to Zahra and Isaac for taking part in the SWAT Spelling Bee Final. We are so proud of the effort and determination you showed. Well done!
We enjoy reading for pleasure at Whitefield. We love our reading shed to enjoy stories at playtimes
Year 2 have been lucky this week to have a Year 6 pupil in school to help with our learning. Tia shared a lovely story with the children during story time.
Year 2 Fire of London Poetry
World Book Day 2018
Share a Story for World Book Day
Class 4's Creative Story-telling
Class 7 told stories in the snow!
Class 1 had a cosy story time in the cloakroom!
Class 8 shared stories in the library
Nursery shared the story of 'We're going on a bear hunt'
Congratulations to our writers of the month
Examples of next step marking
Progression in writing across the school
Children are given daily opportunities to read for pleasure.
At Whitefield Infant School we are all story tellers! Can you guess which stories we are learning by looking at our doorways to learning?
Story telling in Nursery
The Nursery classroom provides many opportunities for children to tell stories.
Children in Nursery use mark making to record their stories.
Story telling in Reception
Shared writing in Reception
Opportunities to write with independence
Story telling in Year 1
Story telling in Year 2
Story telling stones are used to allow children to create their own stories and use their imagination.
Teacher demonstration of writing in Year 2
English learning walls are used throughout school to develop children's skills and support their writing.
Congratulations Amin and Alisbah- the first Year 2 children this year to receive their pen liscence!
Year 2 visited Nelson Library to watch a performance of 'The Boy who Steals Christmas'. We learnt all about the Lancashire Reading Trail and received information about how to become members of Nelson Library.
Please ask your child's class teacher if you would like some more information about joining the Lancashire Reading Trail.
Collaborative, creative learning to build a story map
Reception have been learning the story of 'The Shark in the Park'
Live learning in Year 1 linked to their key text 'Lost and Found'
Progression in handwriting across the school
Year 2 learnt that literacy was a lot different in Victorian times
Play in a Day
Year 2 created a 'play in a day' around their topic of The Great Fire of London. The children did amazingly well to create a performance in one day and learnt lots of facts and information about our topic. Thank you to all the families who came to watch their performance.
World Book Day 2017!
This year we celebrated World Book Day by decorating a head dress for our favourite story book character. We had a lovely day in school celebrating our love of reading.
Literacy through the Arts
All the children love going to our school library
