At Broadmeadow Junior School, reading is at the heart of our curriculum; it is an entitlement that should enable children to connect with some of the finest words ever written. We strive to foster a love of reading at school and at home. We believe that the teaching of reading is fundamental to a child’s understanding and appreciation of the world around them; a platform that allows our children to see beyond their own lives, share in cultural experiences, develop the vocabulary they need to effectively express themselves in all areas and equips them for the challenges they will face in the wider world.
We aim to have pupils leave Broadmeadow as lifelong readers, who have a passion for books and for new and exciting words. In order to do this, children are encouraged to read widely and are exposed to a variety of genres and poetry through our reading spine. Reading across all subjects will prepare pupils for life beyond the Primary Classroom.
Speaking and listening is prioritised in order to build vocabulary for all learners in order to understand more complex texts. We bring reading to life and give it purpose using music, drama and performance. We provide rich, meaningful discussions around texts, where all children feel confident and able to contribute by using their reading skills to access all areas of learning.
We strive to help our children develop into articulate and imaginative communicators, who are well-equipped with the basic skills they need to become life-long learners; we know that English learning is key in this. We acknowledge that our pupils come with a range of experiences in English as a subject and so put huge emphasis on speaking and listening.
Our English curriculum links reading, writing and discussion. We aim to ensure that our children develop a genuine love of language and the written word, through a text-based approach; this links closely to the way we teach reading, as the text that we use in writing lessons, at the start of a half term, is the same text as the one that we use in reading lessons.
We nurture a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly, imaginatively, and accurately, and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. Careful links are made across the curriculum to ensure that children’s English learning is relevant and meaningful. English at Broadmeadow is not only a daily discrete lesson but is the cornerstone of the entire curriculum. It is embedded within all our lessons. Teachers make sure the content is relevant and stimulating by delivering through themes and topics based around History, Science and Geography. We ensure that children develop an understanding of how widely writing is used in everyday life and, therefore, how important, and useful the skills are that they are learning.
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