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Speaking and Listening

Throughout the school, opportunities to develop pupils’ spoken language in a range of contexts underpins the development of reading and writing. Pupils are encouraged to speak clearly, confidently and with expression in order to communicate their ideas and feelings. They are taught to understand and use the conventions for discussion and debate.

Pupils develop their ability to explain their understanding of books and other reading, and to prepare their ideas before they write. They are encouraged to discuss their ideas in order to make sense of their learning.  Teaching Sequences follow the Read to Write units.

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Reading

Reading is a fundamental part of everything we do at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School. Children are exposed to high-quality texts across the curriculum and reading skills are taught explicitly in all year groups. Alongside the skills of decoding and comprehension, ‘book talk’ encourages children to think as a reader and discuss their preferences, likes and dislikes. Reading for pleasure is a cornerstone of our approach, with well-stocked and well organised class reading corners and school library which children access both within the timetable and during enrichment time. The children are motivated and keen to read.

Early reading skills are taught using the ‘Read, Write Inc.’ phonics programme, which is taught in a systematic yet lively and challenging way.

Reading in Key Stage Two

At Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, we have adopted a whole class reading approach that is taught daily for 45 minutes. This structured approach ensures that all children engage with high-quality texts and develop a deep understanding of reading material. To support children with their reading, we have invested in whole class sets of books that cover a variety of different genres. This selection is designed to engage and interest all readers, fostering a love for reading across the key stage.

Each week, three sessions are dedicated to reading the text as a whole class. This practice helps to improve reading fluency and allows children to become familiar with the language, structure, and content of the text. The remaining two sessions focus on answering comprehension questions about the text. During these sessions, children explore a variety of questions that help develop key reading skills, including inference, retrieval, explanation, and summarising. The questioning sessions provide opportunities for children to discuss in detail the characters, settings, themes, and messages within the book. Pupils are encouraged to share their own opinions and interpretations, promoting thoughtful discussion and deeper engagement with the text.

To maintain consistency throughout the key stage, every class follows the same reading template. This consistent approach ensures that all children receive high-quality reading instruction and support, helping them to become confident, skilled, and enthusiastic readers.

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Writing

Writing is taught through a range of exciting stimuli which includes books, film clips, artefacts, visitors and real-life experiences. We strive to equip children to develop a rich vocabulary which can help them bring their writing to life. Basic skills and non-negotiables underpin writing in all areas of the curriculum. Teachers model the writing process and demonstrate the ambitious high standards expected of all children. Every child is encouraged to let their imagination and personality shine through in their writing.

Cross–curricular work offers a creative way to develop children’s knowledge, skills, and understanding while motivating them to learn through stimulating, interconnected topics. A learning focus that crosses subject boundaries allows for investigations that engage children’s imagination whilst providing an ideal vehicle to apply their knowledge and skills.