English concentrates on four key skills that your child needs to get the most out of all their learning at school – speaking, listening, reading and writing.  Teachers develop children’s literacy skills to the highest possible standard through an exciting and stimulating programme. 

Speaking and listening:

Speaking and Listening skills have often taken second place to reading and writing in recent years however at Appleby we feel strongly that Speaking and Listening maintain a high profile within our curriculum.  Verbalising is important for cognitive and social development and learning.  A skilful use of words is a pre requisite for good relationships in life and in work. As English continues to develop its status as the global language for commerce and intercultural communication, individuals will need fluency and increasing accuracy in spoken language.  

Reading:

Reading opens the door to all learning and encourages the development of imagination and creativity.  At Appleby Primary School we expose our pupils to a rich diet of diverse texts and to a wide range of literary individuals– novelists, artists, journalist and librarians who can share their own personal experiences and enthuse our pupils. 

Writing:

New technologies offer endless possibilities for different forms of writing and the repertoire is expanding.  At Appleby Primary School we embrace new technologies but recognise that an ability to write and communicate your ideas in a form appreciated or understood by others is still fundamental to the future of all learning. Therefore teaching of high quality writing for a variety of purposes remains one of our highest priorities.

Phonics:

At Appleby Primary School we deliver a daily programme to support learning of synthetic phonics at Key Stage One and Reception. Our multi-sensory programme which makes great use of online resources is based in the Letters and Sounds programme. Your child's class teacher will advise you on the best ways to support your child's learning in phonics. Regular workshop sessions ensure that parents and families are familiar with strategies taught in school.