The key threads through the spoken language curriculum are:

• Increasing vocabulary 
• Listening 
• Speaking audibly and fluently 

46% of our pupils have English as an Additional Language; acknowledging this allows us to place a clear focus upon developing the vocabulary of our pupils. We have a clear emphasis and explicitly teach vocabulary as part of the English curriculum as well as the wider curriculum areas so that our pupils can fully immerse themselves in learning, discussions around their learning as well as wider school life. As part of our Skills Builder programme pupils are explicitly taught speaking and listening skills. The programme uses a universal framework which shows how to build essential skills at every stage of life.

Reading is given a high priority at Co-op Academy Oakwood. Early reading and the teaching of phonics is taught through the use of the Systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) teaching programme Read Write Inc (RWI). 

In Read Write Inc. Phonics pupils:  

• Decode letter-sound correspondences quickly and effortlessly, using their phonic knowledge and skills  
• Read common exception words on sight  
• Understand what they read  
• Read aloud with fluency and expression  
• Write confidently, with a strong focus on vocabulary and grammar  
• Spell quickly and easily by segmenting the sounds in words  
• Acquire good handwriting

Pupils work in groups according to their progress in reading. All staff have been trained in the RWI scheme and the academy has regular development days with a RWI consultant.

In Reception, pupils rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent them. Simple mnemonics help them to grasp this quickly. This is especially useful for pupils at risk of making slower progress. This learning is consolidated daily. Pupils have frequent practice in reading high frequency words with irregular spellings – common exception words. We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words. This is so that, early on, they experience success and gain confidence that they are readers. Re-reading and discussing these books with the teacher supports their increasingly fluent decoding. Alongside this, the teachers read a wide range of stories, poetry and non-fiction to pupils; they are soon able to read these texts for themselves. 

Our aim is for pupils to complete the phonics programme as quickly as possible. The sooner they complete it, the sooner they will be able to choose books to read at their own interest and comprehension level. 

RWI and Fresh Start is used as an intervention in Key Stage 2 for pupils who still need support in decoding and reading. 

Parents can discover more about the programme via this link – RWI – a guide for parents. 

Helpful videos can be found via these links: 

What is RWI? 

How do I say the sounds?  

Once pupils have completed the RWI programme, reading lessons focus upon developing fluency and reading comprehension skills. Reading is taught daily and follows a whole class reading approach using VIPERS to ensure that all content domains are covered in the teaching of reading. All of our pupils read daily.

One-to-one reading with an adult happens regularly at Co-op Academy Oakwood. These sessions focus on both fluency and comprehension. 

At Co-op Academy Oakwood, we have a reading spine which identifies key texts that pupils will read in each year group. These texts have been chosen for a variety of different reasons including: 

• The text tackles the five plagues of reading (identified by Doug Lemov in Reading Reconsidered)

• Archaic language 
• Non-linear time sequences 
• Narratively complex 
• Figurative / symbolic text 
• Resistant texts 

• The text represents a range of different characters reflecting the pupils at our academy as well as life in modern Britain
• The text is written by a range of authors reflecting life in modern Britain
• The text is a ‘classic’ 
• The text links to other curriculum learning 

Our writing teaching sequence is inspired by the work of Eve Bearne and uses the sequence of: familiarisations with genre / text type (reading as a writer); capturing ideas and oral rehearsal; teacher demonstration; teacher scribing; supported writing and guided writing which leads to independent writing. 

The writing teaching sequence and journey that pupils follow has a clear purpose for the pupils. The purpose for writing could link to a book from the reading spine, learning in other areas of the curriculum (for example non-chronological reports about time periods, people, places and creatures or letters and persuasive writing relating to current learning) or could link to events and celebrations taking place in the world. 

The writing journey at Co-op Academy Oakwood has a clear focus throughout on the final independent piece that pupils will produce. Pupils are exposed to the text type that they will create independently where they explore the text as a writer focusing on language, grammatical and structural features of the given text type. This familiarisation with the text and text type allows pupils to develop their knowledge of writing composition. Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation are taught as part of the writing sequence focussing on the skills most needed for the text type pupils are creating. Regular reviews and checks for understanding are built into the sequences of teaching to ensure that pupils have mastered grammar and punctuation learning. 

In order for pupils to achieve independent practice, teachers provide models and scaffolds in their teaching to build on prior knowledge and learning. The teacher demonstration phase allows direct and explicit teaching of the knowledge and skills (language, grammatical and structural) needed to achieve in independent writing. 

Insight – at Co-op Academy Oakwood, we want pupils to develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards the world around them. Pupils at Co-op Academy Oakwood make the journey from learning to read to reading to learn. Reading to learn offers our pupils the opportunity to have insight into an infinite variety of learning opportunities. Through the English curriculum, pupils will be given opportunities to develop a range of knowledge and skills which they can use and apply in a wide variety of contexts and this knowledge and skills will be used to support learning in other subject areas. 

Creativity – having the ability to read fluently allows pupils to entire whole new worlds and discover the creativity of others. The worlds that authors weave and create will enable pupils to develop a love of reading and become immersed in the stories that they read and are exposed to. Developing and gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to write creatively and with ease is at the heart of our English curriculum so that there are no obstacles to what pupils wish to create when writing. 

Experience – economic factors inhibit many of our pupils from experiencing the world around them. However, at Co-op Academy Oakwood we aim to give the pupils the experiences through a range of activities, visits (in person and virtual), visitors and experiences. Books are also a significant part of ensuring that pupils are able to develop their experience of the world. 

Wherever possible, the Co-op Ways of Being of: ‘Do what matters most’, ‘Be yourself, always’, ‘Show you care’ and ‘Succeed together’ are woven throughout the English curriculum so as to deliver a culture where all pupils feel responsible, valued, empowered and trusted to do the right thing.