Our English Curriculum Vision
At Crestwood Park, we believe that a language rich reading curriculum is the key to giving our children the very best chance of achieving and exceeding their potential. At our school we know that language acquisition is hugely important; the number and variety of words that our children know is a significant predictor of how well they will do in later schooling and in life, and our aim is to narrow or close any ‘gap’ in the number of words our children need in order to succeed. We believe a language rich environment and a sharp focus on reading is the key.
It is our passion to promote the love of reading so that children can leave Crestwood Park understanding the importance of reading and with a desire for books. We provide opportunities for children to explore a wide range of books, written by well-known and highly skilled authors. This takes place throughout the day; during English lessons, small group and individual reading sessions, reading for pleasure and our daily story time. It is important to us that we get the environment right for our children, so they feel part of a ‘reading school’. By investing in our reading areas, book exchanges, libraries, clubs and classroom displays, our children are encouraged and motivated to become part of our reading community. We share the ‘reading’ message with our parents too; children’s book reviews feature in our weekly newsletters and workshops are tailored to support parents who are keen to help their children.
Through our passion for reading we are exposing our children to a wide range of vocabulary, which is then fed into their writing. Our writing curriculum has a keen focus on narrative writing; we believe this creative, expressive and descriptive genre gives us the best opportunities to broaden our children’s vocabulary. We instil this belief from a young age, where children are immersed in storytelling through a ‘Talk for Writing’ approach. As the children move throughout their school journey, they experience a range of texts and models carefully written to demonstrate the features. This is where our children become writers; using language carefully and creatively, with the correct balance of key features to have an impact on their reader.
When children leave Crestwood Park for the next stage of their education, we want them to be confident speakers, enthusiastic readers and talented writers. Our English curriculum is developed with these core aims and our unique children in mind.
