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Welford and Wickham Primary School

Language Policy

Introduction

At Welford and Wickham C.E. Primary School, we believe that the development of language and literacy skills are of the highest priority. Both children and parents should realise that language is the main tool of learning and communication. The purpose of this language policy is to:

1. ensure the effective delivery of the National Curriculum for English;
2. ensure language skills are developed and used across the whole curriculum;
3. aid the monitoring of the teaching and learning of language.

Aims

We aim to :

• develop the skills of each child to the highest level;

• to produce confident children able to understand and use appropriately the varieties of language available to them.

Speaking and Listening

From the beginning, children are actively encouraged to speak and listen. Opportunities are given for school, class, small group and individual discussion, expression of ideas and presentations. Children are actively encouraged to:

• listen and respond with constructive comments, questions or answers in a variety of speaking and listening activities, developing wide ranging and suitable vocabulary;

• listen and to follow instructions and to relay messages accurately;

• plan and discuss work co-operatively where appropriate;

• develop social skills and good manners, showing courtesy to each other and visitors.

By the time they leave us, our children have fluency and confidence to use language to convey information, ideas, comments and personal views in a socially acceptable manner anappropriate to the purpose and audience.

Reading

Children are encouraged from entry to develop an interest in all kinds of books and the print around them. Children will have the opportunity to :

• play pre-reading games and exercises to develop the variety of skills needed to learn the complex task of reading;

• learn a variety of approaches to reading, including phonics, whole word recognition picture and context clues to make sense of text;

• read from a foundation reading scheme and have this supplemented with a wide range of books offering a choice of genre and vocabulary at the appropriate level;

• browse, share and enjoy books with family and friends as well as sessions with the teacher. Short daily spells of enjoying and reading books with an adult are essential for successful, confident reading.

The school has produced a leaflet, which is available from school, entitled ‘Guidelines for helping children with reading’ for teachers, parents and helpers.

Writing

We need to teach each child handwriting, spelling and grammar for them to become effective writers. Each child enters school at a different level of writing ability but we aim to teach all children the skills to :

• use writing as a tool to aid learning and to record their experiences in a wide range of activities across the curriculum;

• employ a variety of forms suitable to the context, purpose and audience;

• achieve independent writing of a high quality;

• present work that demonstrates thought, care and pride.

We encourage the children to celebrate not only their own achievements but those of others by publishing their work in the village magazine, writing articles for a European schools journal, entering national writing competitions, displaying their writing in the school and publishing work to be accessed via the Internet. Children are also encouraged to write letters and to write e-mail messages not only to other children but also to adults.

Go to the Welford and Wickham Policy Index.