English

In our school, we are driven by the need to prepare our children to become lifelong readers and writers. Our rich English curriculum teaches the requirements of the National Curriculum but it is also ambitious for all children and develops the essential knowledge, skills and understanding that we believe are the foundations for life.
 
READING
 
Reading is one of life's most essential skills. At Townley Primary School, we hope that all children will become enthusiastic and reflective readers. As a parent or carer, you play a vital role in supporting your child's reading development and the partnership between home and school is essential for success with this life skill.
 
WRITING
 
We strive for children to write to suit different situations, purposes and audiences. Our writing is centred around high quality texts, which ensure progression from year to year. 
 
Our long-term plan ensures that a variety of genres are progressively taught and built upon both throughout the year and throughout the school. Teachers have the freedom to tailor their writing lessons to suit the needs of the children in their class. Grammar is always taught in context; this is much more effective than stand-alone grammar lessons as the children can see the language being used in a text and therefore are better able to transfer it into their own writing.
 
Writing is also a key focus in the wider curriculum. Children are given the opportunity to transfer and build upon their knowledge of a genre studied during English lessons and apply this learning to a piece of work in a different subject.