English

English Curriculum

We believe that every student should be able to communicate their ideas, knowledge and feelings in the most accessible way for them. At The Abbey, we provide students with the support they need to progress in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In addition to teaching the fundamental skills of the English language, we encourage students to develop a love for reading and literature. 

Curriculum content is rich and engaging. We passionately believe that students thrive on exposure to a range of literature.  The curriculum team selects engaging and relevant high-quality texts. From Shakespeare classics to Greta Thunberg, books are thoughtfully tailored to meet the needs of our students. Text copies are adapted to the reading ages of the individual groups to ensure they are fully accessible. All students are exposed to higher level texts through adults reading aloud and eliciting meaning.

English lessons draw on an accumulation of taught reading, writing and speaking and listening skills. Whilst lessons focus on perhaps one or two key skills, the teaching sequence facilitates opportunities to rehearse, revisit and embed a variety of skills. Each term has a ‘Hook Title’ to capture interest and enjoyment. One or two high quality texts are then used as a stimulus to elicit key English skills. This allows teachers to build on previous learning and tailor lessons to match the needs and interests of the students.

Targeted teaching develops pupils’ competence in transcription and composition. Students are taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. Students learn how to communicate their ideas, knowledge and understanding through a range of mediums; verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual. 

It is especially important for our students to be taught the skills of effective composition. This involves supporting them to form, articulate and communicate their ideas for them to be able to organise them coherently.  In order to do this, teaching and learning consistently builds on the students’ knowledge of vocabulary, context, syntax, and narrative structure.  Students are taught to identify the stylistic features of a range of text types and are given opportunities to create their own adaptations with appropriate scaffolding. For example, explicit teaching of formal and informal letter writing and email makes learning purposeful and relevant. 

Our inclusive approach to teaching and learning makes sure that every student reaches their full potential whether that be Functional Skills or GCSE English. Students are aware of their learning journey in English and understand the purpose of their lessons.

Students practise reading daily to develop fluency, accuracy, and speed. In order to embed understanding and draw on higher-level comprehension skills, we often revisit texts during the course of a scheme of learning.

For those students who require additional support, The Phonics International Programme based approach, ‘Abbey Phonics,’ teaches students to decode words in order to read fluently with an understanding of what they have read. Staff are all trained in using the Abbey Alphabetic Code Chart and share a common approach to supporting both decoding and encoding.

The School’s ‘Together We Read’ statement celebrates a whole school reading culture. Reading Afternoons, three times a week, allow students to sit and enjoy a book with their peers. Students often choose the text and take turns reading aloud. The Hampshire School Library Service gives students access to a wealth of online and digital resources such as magazines and audiobooks both at school and at home.

Supporting Reading

Reading is an integral part of the English Curriculum. A range of high-quality texts and genres forms the starting point in the schemes of learning for all year groups. Students are exposed to texts they may not necessarily choose to read themselves. We aim to expand their knowledge of the world and different cultures through the texts that are taught.  

Students are assessed in reading termly. This information is used so that gaps can be identified and then inform groupings and planning and teaching. Students are selected carefully for intervention so that it can be most impactful. 

In Year 7, students are assessed at the earliest opportunity. Those at the earliest stages of reading are quickly identified and support is put in place (through pathways and intervention) to quickly and effectively address gaps. 

The English and Interventions teams work closely together to support those at the earliest stages of reading. Decodable reading books are linked closely to the phonic knowledge that students are being taught. 

Subject disciplinary literacy is taught explicitly in English with key words identified and introduced at the start of topics and revisited regularly to aid retention. Specific key words are highlighted in green to give focus in each lesson. Words mats, matching words, supporting images and examples are all used to introduce key vocabulary. Repetition of new and key vocabulary is used to support learning and to give students context to use these words.

In English, the ‘incidental teaching’ of phonics using Abbey Phonics supports both decoding and encoding. Scripts are used to give a consistent approach across the school. 

Where possible, stories are used to bring ideas to life, to give context to learning and to support retention. 

Widgit symbols are used in addition to text to support comprehension for students when reading.

We provide regular opportunities for students to read a range of different texts. We encourage students to read for learning, moving beyond the mechanics of reading to gathering meaning and information from the text. We also give recommendations of reading materials to encourage reading beyond the classroom.

Students have access to headsets & Chromebooks where they can use the dictation feature or use the Select to Speak tool, reading selected text to the user

Please see the Reading page for more information 

Reading

Year 7 Overview

Year 8 & 9 Overview

Cycle 1

Cycle 2

Year 10 & 11 Overview

Cycle 1

Cycle 2

Assessment

Students are formatively assessed through a range of in-lesson methods, including questioning, observation, 'Do It Now’ tasks, quizzes, fluency in reading de/encoding, reflection time, paired, group and independent activities. This allows teaching to be adapted to be responsive to the needs of the students. 

Formal, summative assessment occurs every half term and combines the different elements of study outlined in the SoL. Students undertake a termly reading assessment. Students have summative end of topic tests linked to what we have learnt that term. Termly Data Drops give opportunities to analyse progress and adapt planning and teaching as well as recommending groupings and interventions.

Enrichment Opportunities

Abbey students enjoy:

• Trips to local Libraries and Bookshops. 

• Reading celebration assemblies

• Guest Speakers

• Meet the Author

• Role-play activities

• Teaching of new vocabulary

• World Book Week (At home and at school challenges, reading activities and dressing up)

• Access to Reading Eggs and Accelerated reader at home

• Access to SORA online library

• Physical books to take home

• Reading afternoon sessions

• Careers

• A variety of fiction, non-fiction books as well as poetry.

• Bringing learning to life

• End of Term Awards