St Christopher’s School and Children’s Home
(Bristol)
Curriculum Policy, English
This policy forms an essential element of our Education Policies and Procedures. In
implementing this policy, staff must recognize its links with the other Education Policies.
Ratified by Trustees
April 2015
Review date
March 2016
RATIONALE
The ability to communicate with others appropriately and meaningfully is of prime
importance. English is a subject in its own right as well as a vehicle for thought, learning and
expression across the curriculum. Pupils need to develop language, communication, reading
and writing skills in order to learn and to play as full and active a part as possible as
individuals within society.
All of our pupils experience various degrees of language and communication difficulties.
English and the development of communication, language skills and literacy skills is
therefore one of the core curriculum subjects at St Christopher’s, has a high priority in itself
and is firmly embedded throughout the Waking Day Curriculum.
AIMS
The English policy and Schemes of Work have been developed to ensure that:
 All pupils’ needs are met with correct level of challenge in all areas of English for them
to make good or better progress within all strands of English.
 The practice within the school is consistent and clear, yet flexible enough to meet
specific individual needs.
 How we teach English can be effectively communicated to parents, staff and others
interested.
Schemes of work
We have created our own Schemes of Work setting out a progression route from P1 to new
National Primary Curriculum Year 1.
Learning objectives and relevant P-Level descriptions are listed in our Schemes of Work
based on the EQUALS Guide to Literacy, Steiner Curriculum and Methodology, The New
National Curriculum and other relevant sources. The Schemes of Work are divided into 4
strands:
1)
2)
3)
4)
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Expressive Communication/ Speaking- and Receptive Communication /Listening
Reading – Word Recognition –Decoding (reading) and Encoding (Spelling)
Reading- Engaging with and responding to text
Writing
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Definitions
Expressive Communication/ Speaking- and Receptive Communication /Listening
This strand spans from the very fundamentals of communication (e.g. eye-contact, sharing a space
and taking turns) right up to the ability to communicate needs, wishes, ideas and feelings to others
either verbally or non-verbally. It incorporates Listening – Responding from the earliest level of stilling
to sound right through to higher levels leading to the ability to listen, comprehend and interpret
language sounds, gestures and signs and to respond appropriately.
Reading – Word Recognition –Decoding (reading) and Encoding (Spelling)
This strand explains how responding to sounds/phonemes can be incorporated at very early level of
development and be built on further and further. This will for some pupils lead to developing the ability
to decode and encode phonemes efficiently and competently and hereby become fluent readers. It
also incorporates other reading methods such as whole word recognition at speed, Steiner inspired
approaches, and stresses the importance of incorporating methods from pupils own realm of
experience and interests.
Please also see Reading Methods Appendix A
Reading - Engaging with and responding to text
This strand explains how reading comprehension starts at early levels by engaging with rich and
varied text eg developed through using a sensory approach to story telling – up until being able to
retell and discuss a wide range of texts either read by the pupil themselves or what has been read to
them.
Please also see Reading Methods Appendix A
Recording / Writing
This strand deals both with learning the skill of writing starting with the ability to co-ordinate hand and
eye which can then lead to the emergence of mark- making and at higher levels of development actual
writing skills. It incorporates both handwriting and ICT aided writing. It also takes into account how
pupils begin to gain understanding that visual symbols and the written word represent the spoken word
and carry meaning. For higher levels of development it explains and covers how to teach writing for a
variety of purposes.
PLANNING
Class teachers are responsible for the everyday planning of structured, balanced and well
differentiated language/communication and literacy sessions following the principles of
progression set out in our Schemes of Work.
Class teachers plan long term targets communication (Expressive Communication/
Speaking- and Receptive Communication /Listening) in consultation with SaLT and literacy
(reading and writing) targets for all pupils up until the age of 14. At 14+ all pupils carry on with
communication (Expressive Communication/ Speaking- and Receptive Communication
/Listening) targets, but there is more flexibility around how literacy (reading and writing) is
taught at this age. For pupils who are making progress with and enjoy reading and writing, it
will be important to carry on with individual targets to ensure further progress. For those
pupils who are no longer progressing much in these areas, and who have little interest in
them, it is important to think about how to develop literacy more functionally in practical,
vocational and independent living tasks or for enjoyment. The communication (Expressive
Communication/ Speaking- and Receptive Communication /Listening) and literacy (reading
and writing) targets are agreed with parents in annual reviews, and form part of the pupil’s
IEP/ILP (Individual Education Plan/ Individual Learning Plan). All pupils at St. Christopher’s
continue to enjoy a rich variety of language experiences through artistic and creative
activities (e.g. singing, drama, Eurythmy, etc.)
Expressive Communication/ Speaking- and Receptive Communication /Listening is an
important part of every lesson and is worked on throughout the pupils’ Waking Day
Curriculum.
Lower School pupils (ages 5-16) have at least one English Main Lesson per academic year,
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one weekly whole class literacy lesson as well as daily individual sessions focusing on the
pupils’ particular communication and literacy targets, with more flexibility around the literacy
targets from 14+ as described above.
In Upper School we do not teach distinct literacy lessons, but English is firmly embedded
within all 3 areas of study in Upper School (World Studies, Independent Living and
Vocational Studies). In addition Interactive Storytelling and drama features afternoon group
activities available to the pupils who benefit and enjoy these. Pupils carry on with daily
individual sessions focusing on their particular communication and literacy targets, with more
flexibility around the literacy targets from 14+ as described above.
English is well embedded throughout the curriculum. Each subject term-planner describes
how English is embedded within that subject/topic. It also lists which key-words and concepts
are presented in the lesson. Makaton, objects of reference and a total communication
strategy is well established throughout the school ensured by thorough induction and
ongoing training.
Multi-disciplinary Therapists’ Team involvement – a blended approach:
The Speech and Language Therapist is responsible for assessing pupils with language and
communication difficulties. Assessment may lead to either individual or group therapy
sessions or individual programmes that are carried out regularly by teaching and care staff, in
both school and house (refer to the Language and Communication Policy). The Occupational therapist
will assist with assessing, planning and delivering appropriate writing activities for individual
pupils (refer to Assessment, Recording and Reporting policy).
References
DfE - Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years
Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people
who have special educational needs or disabilities - January 2015
2014 No.3283 Education, England. The Education (Independent School Standards)
Regulations 2014
Ofsted Non-association independent school inspection handbook - October 2014
The Equals Guide to Literacy (Supporting access for pupils working towards level 1 of the
National Curriculum)
The 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England Key Stages 1&2 Framework
The 2014 Secondary National Curriculum in England Key Stages 3&4 Framework
Equals Moving On Curriculum for teachers of pupils aged 14-19 with learning difficulties
Review of this policy
This policy will be reviewed at least annually but may also be revisited whenever quality
assurance systems within school indicate this would be beneficial. Policy review will be
undertaken by the Senior Education Team. Changes and updates will be informed by up-todate legislation and government policy.
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APPENDIX TO CURRICULUM POLICY - ENGLISH
English - Visual Awareness / Reading
RATIONALE
Many of our pupils function at a low ability level and pre-reading activities (visual awareness) continue
to be the most appropriate for them. These activities are based around developing the ability to
recognise, discriminate and comprehend objects/people, photos/pictures, signs, symbols and
individual written work such as their own name, days of the week, etc.
For those students who start to show signs of being ready to learn to read by successfully and
competently matching symbols and words and understanding their meaning, an individual reading
programme is developed.
It is our experience that pupils with complex learning difficulties use a wide variety of methods to learn
to read. There will also be an element of trial and error, until a method and approach can be found
suitable for that individual, taking into consideration what they have already been taught, sometimes at
previous schools, their attitudes towards learning, their motivation and learning style. Reading
programmes always have to be personalised with our pupils.
METHODS AND APPROACHES
Steiner Method and Approach
‘In teaching reading, indeed all subjects, (…) teachers are guided by an overarching principle – to
integrate intellectual development with artistic creativity and practical skill. As a pedagogic method,
this means that the royal road to awaken thinking and harness the will means engaging the feelings.
This educational ideal of balance is supported by contemporary developmental psychology that maps
the dynamic interconnections between cognitive development, emotional intelligence, and bodilykinesthetic intelligence. Finding ways to balance and integrate thinking, feeling and willing in
education through daily practice has important implications to teaching reading…’ (by William Ward,
www.steinerbooks.org)
Systematic Synthetic Phonics
The essence of a systematic synthetic phonics programmes is that it should support pupil’s learning in
a systematic sequential way with graphemes (a letter or combination of letters that represent a
phoneme) and phonemes (the smallest identifiable sound, eg. the letters ch representing one sound)
being introduced in stages. The term synthetic refers to synthesising or blending phonemes to make
words.
Look and Say Method (whole word recognition)
The pupil learns to recognise whole words or sentences rather than individual sounds. The pupils will
be shown a word or a sentence, and told what it says usually backed up by pictures. They will repeat it
until learnt by matching to pictures, same word and eventually by memorising the word picture without
any clues. Pupils with autism often learn to read a whole word when matched to the real object.
Language Experience Approach
This method uses pupils’ own words to help them to read. The pupil may look at a photo or a picture
and describe what he/she sees. The teacher uses the pupil’s description to form simple sentences to
be written under the photo/picture. This is repeated lots of times, and books are developed. The pupil
reads the book/s again and again and learns by repetition.
Context Support Method
This method stresses the importance of finding books of interest to the pupil. For example if a pupil
likes cars, the reading material would consist of a book with pictures and simple words about cars.
Some books are especially written to support this method of learning. You will find a longer sentence
on one side for the teacher to read, and the other side has a single word or maybe two to three words
for the pupil to read.
This appendix to be read and understood in the context of the our English Policy and Schemes
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of Work
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