English

English is at the core of all we do at HBSFED.

Click on the links below to see the individual strands of English at our schools.

Read it.

Reading is the core of everything we do at HBSFED. From recognising sounds through to analysis of complex classic and contemporary texts, our vision is for every child to become a happy confident reader.
Write it.

We do more than teach writing: we teach out children how to become writers. From the first foundations of letter formation through to writing for specific purposes, our aim is for all children to engage with purposeful writing projects .
Speak it.

Being efficient, effective and considerate communicators is our aim. We learn how to both speak and listen efficiently, giving opportunities to develop oracy and debating skills in all age groups as we grow in confidence and eloquence.

Where is all begins! We follow the DfE accredited Little Wandle Phonics scheme across HBSfed.
In these lessons, children discover and learn how to decode written words into sounds.
For more information, see Phonics and early reading pages of our website.
In our reading lessons we closely read and then analyse texts as a whole class. We use the VIPERS approach to questioning ( Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explain, Retrieve and Summary) at a whole class level. These are lively and engaging lessons where all children contribute and share ideas.
During the course of a year, we aim to discover a broad and diverse range of different texts as we develop our understanding and appreciation of stories, non fiction and verse.
The highlight of the day. This is a shared reading experience, where the class discover some of the very best books available. We share theories and queries about the story, create predictions and engage with the authors wherever possible. These books are carefully selected to offer significant thematic challenge and engagement, showing the children a broad and exciting view of the world(s) around them. These books can be seen on our HBSfed reading spine. Please ask us to talk about them when you visit us!

What do we want to write? Why are we writing? Who are we writing to? These are the first questions as we establish our purpose and audience.
Next, we have a look at examples of what a good one looks like. In this stage of our writing process, we work collaboratively and then independently as we evaluate what the writer has done to make their piece effective.
During this phase, we learn and try out new skills that will help us in our won writing. We work on them in lessons, then in the context of our writing project.
This is the creative stage where all the skills and knowledge are put together. We know the reason for writing, we have seen examples of good ones and sharpened out skills to create our own masterpiece. After going through a rigorous drafting process, we then look to publish a final piece.

Throughout any school day, there are lots of chances to work on these two skills. We use discussion as a powerful teaching and learning tool. In this HBSfed pupils are able to work on developing their approach: sharing ideas clearly and effectively, using increasingly precise language. Listening to the thoughts of others and then developing them further before sharing them is all in a day’s work at HBSfed!
During learning and play, talk and discussion is a key tool to driving progress.. Having purposeful discussion planned across the curriculum means that we can hone these skills to drive learning and understanding forward
As a small school, we have the advantage of already knowing each other very well. This makes promoting the equality of voice simple. Every member of the school community has a voice, and will get chance to present their ideas to the class.

Read it.