Ogbourne CofE Primary School

Welcome from Link Governor for English

I’m Abbie Holmes; I’m a Foundation Governor and Vice-Chair of Ogbourne’s Local Governing Body. I also have a child at Ogbourne, who is currently in Year 4.  I am the link governor for English, which means I work with our English Lead, Karina Nicholson, in her capacity as lead staff member for this important focus area. Part of my role is to provide support and challenge around the action plan for English and its implementation. In practical terms, I visit the school to help oversee the progress that is being made, whether that is in terms of improving our library, reviewing the children’s work and carrying out pupil interviews, or talking to staff about the curriculum. Breadth of vocabulary is one of the leading indicators of academic success, and for me, the bedrock of this is reading, so it’s really important that we give our pupils space to read and be read to – listening to stories is surely one of childhood’s great pleasures. As well as talking to staff and pupils,
I’m interested in the views of other parents – so please feel free to speak to me any time about things you think we are getting right – or wrong!

Our Literacy & English Curriculum Intent - 2022-23

Through Ogbourne’s curriculum and Christian values, we aim to develop children’s independence with
a life-long love of learning. Our intention is to motivate pupils through an engaging Literacy & English curriculum that meets the needs of all. At Ogbourne, we work hard to ensure we make a profound, positive impact to the outcomes of every child. The importance of being literate has never been more important in our society, and those who struggle to read and write are at a catastrophic disadvantage.

The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. 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
• love books and enjoy listening to stories, poems and rhymes
• read letter-sound correspondences quickly, decode effortlessly and comprehend what they read
• 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.

At Ogbourne, we are not just attempting to teach the fundamental skills and knowledge so that our children are capable; we are aiming to instil in them a love of independently pursuing their development of literacy. We want to create life-long readers and writers, who engage in a wide range of books for both information and pleasure, who are able to apply their skills and learning into other areas of their lives and education.