English at Gresham

At Gresham Primary School, we recognise that achievement in reading and writing in the primary phase plays a huge part in the future life chances of our pupils. English language enables us to learn, acquire knowledge and gives us the tools to think for ourselves and be creative. It provides us with the ability to communicate our ideas and emotions, and allows us to understand the ideas and emotions of others. Furthermore, English enables us to experience other cultures, countries and periods of time, allowing us to enter new worlds and extend our immediate experience.

At Gresham Primary School, we recognise the role reading plays in developing writers and the value of nurturing a love of quality literature. We believe that reading should be a source of delight and fascination. By responding to literature, our pupils learn what it means to be human; they learn about human hopes, fears, dreams and achievements.

Our English curriculum provides intellectual challenges for our pupils and creates excitement through the discovery and appreciation of how language functions and how best to use this when writing. It is so much more than asking them to remember grammatical constructions or tricky spellings. It is a complicated and intricate process. We enable our children to become writers by giving them a voice; supporting them to communicate; helping them to ‘tune into’ their creativity which is so essential for writing; encouraging them to explore ideas prior to composition through art, drama and role-play, music and movement and small world play and providing opportunities to write independently and to develop these ideas into extended pieces. The result of all of this?  Providing them with a skill that is vital for all of their schooling and preparing them for life beyond the school gates…

“ In every writer, there is a reader. Give them reading. Let them lift the words off the printed page to enrich their own written work.”  Louise Johns-Shepherd, Chief Executive, CLPE