English

Reading

At Riverside, our vision for reading is to cultivate the life-long thirst for knowledge and pleasure in reading. We want children to strive for their dreams knowing that reading will help them to achieve these. Regardless of starting points or backgrounds, we are committed to providing a broad and balanced range of reading experiences which challenge, excite and motivate. Whilst our reading curriculum encompasses the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, our vision is to provide our pupils with a range of reading experiences and challenges which are designed to help prepare students to be enthusiastic readers both in the classroom and in the world beyond it. By providing a cannon of carefully chosen texts we open up new worlds, other cultures, and enrich the world for the children within our school. Reading is a gift to be given. We believe that the discrete teaching of reading is essential for children’s learning and progression. Reading is a crucial skill which must be securely established by the end of KS2.

For more information about Riverside’s approach to reading, please refer to the documents below. For more information about phonics and early reading, please see our dedicated page:

Reading Policy
Reading Curriculum Map 2023- 2024
5 Plagues Reading Spring
Cannon of Texts
Reading with children in school

Writing

We believe that writing makes a significant contribution to the development of children as thinkers and learners. The purpose of this policy is to promote a consistency of approach and to ensure that continuity and progression are embedded in our practice. At Riverside we believe that our writing curriculum will:

• Enable the children to communicate in writing clearly, confidently and appropriately, demonstrating an awareness of a variety of purposes and audiences.
• Provide real life situations, affording the children the opportunity to develop a range of strategies and skills, which will enable them to function in society as literate adults.
• Create a genuine love of writing and an appreciation of its value, so that children choose to write and are able to organise and structure a variety of texts, whilst developing their imagination and critical awareness. This will help to assist the children in becoming independent writers.
• Create opportunities for writing across all areas of the curriculum to make it relevant and meaningful and allow opportunities for application of skills.
• Ensure that teaching and learning of writing is consistent across school, to aid children’s progress.
• Encourage children to present their writing to a high standard, at each of the stages of the writing process: planning, drafting, editing and redrafting.

For more information about Riverside’s approach to writing, please see the documents below:

Writing Policy
Year 1 Sentences
Year 2 Sentences
LKS2 Sentences
UKS2 Sentences
Michael Tidd Writing for a Purpose
Writing Curriculum Coverage 2024/25
Medium term plan for GPS Year 2
Medium term plan for GPS LKS2
Medium term plan for GPS UKS2
Handwriting Curriculum Overview