Hermitage Primary School

At Hermitage Primary School we believe that the English curriculum should develop a child’s love of reading, writing and discussion. We want children to harness a lifelong love of reading for pleasure with a range text types, genres and authors. We aim for children to write with confidence and accuracy for a variety of purposes and audiences whilst developing their own individual flair. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching across all subjects; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum.  Our staff develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject.  We aim to expose our children to a wide range of vocabulary so that they are able to decipher new words and use them when speaking. Children will be able to write clearly, accurately and coherently with grammatical accuracy and to be able to apply spelling patterns correctly using a neat handwriting style. 

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Read easily, fluently and with good understanding.
• Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
• Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.
• Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage.
• Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
• Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas.
• Are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Underpinning our pedagogy, is the belief that all children can learn to read and write with confidence and that high-quality English education provides a foundation for understanding the wider world and a tool for life.