Heathlands Primary Academy and Pre-School
Part of Coastal Learning Partnership
English at Heathlands
How do we teach reading at Heathlands?
How do we teach phonics at Heathlands?
At Heathlands we follow the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds validated phonics scheme with absolute fidelity to the scheme. Lessons are delivered every day in EYFS and Key Stage 1 to ensure pupils keep up with the scheme. Phonics is delivered twice daily in Year 1 and Year 2 to support pupils to keep up with the programme.
Pupils begin the scheme immediately upon arriving in Reception.
Pupils in Key Stage 2 who have not passed the Phonics Screening Check continue to receive intervention following the LWLS programme, and all pupils should be encouraged to use phonics strategies when decoding / encoding words.
How do I support my child to learn to read?
How do we teach writing at Heathlands?
How do we teach handwriting?
Teaching of Handwriting at HPA follows the ‘Letterjoin’ scheme.
In EYFS and KS1, transcription skills (inc. handwriting) is taught and practised daily.
In KS2, Handwriting is taught at least every other day in English Fluency sessions (alternating with spelling).
Pupils should apply handwriting skills across the curriculum, not just in core subject, and should be taught to be ‘Writing Ready’:
Pupils will also be taught to write using a secure tripod grip:
How do we teach spelling?
At Heathlands, pupils progress through the following spelling schemes. A pupil’s place on this progression will be determined by ongoing tracking / assessment of their applied spelling skills in their day to day work:
Little Wandle Letters & Sounds
Early Years and Key Stage 1 follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sound phonics and spelling scheme, with dictation and encoding recorded in an A5 phonics book.
This consists of daily encoding practice during daily phonics teaching, followed by a Bridge to Spelling Unit daily in Autumn Year 2, and 4x weekly spelling lessons in Spring / Summer Year 2.
The Spelling Book
Key Stage 2 follows the Jane Considine ‘The Spelling Book’ scheme, which follows the following structure. Learning is recorded in a dedicated spelling exercise book, with Investigations and Go Grapheme Grafters at the front, and Fast Tasks at the back.
At Key Stage 2, spelling is taught in the daily ‘English Fluency’ slot, alternating with Handwriting
Every classroom in Key Stage 2 has a ‘Spell It Out’ display board in order to embed and explore the fortnightly target spelling words. This takes place across the two weeks, with the words being ‘tested’ in the following ‘Go Grapheme Grafters’ session.