English
The fundamental role of our English curriculum within our setting is to enable novice learners to embed skills and knowledge in reading, writing and spoken language, so that they may communicate their wants needs and desires effectively and express their ideas using acquired and expanded language.
Spoken Language
As a specialist communication school, communication and language are at the core of all our learning.
Student’s access to communication is prioritised through teacher assessment and adherence to the school’s spoken language progression and communication progression document. Each student is assessed upon entry to identify any augmented communication supports that may aid communication development. These may include but are not exhaustive to: AAC devices (e.g. Grid 3 on iPad/IWB, eyegaze, sound buttons, switches), communication mats, TOBIs and PECS. The use of these devices is implemented by our in-school AAC team and class teachers, and embedded by all adults through demonstration and modelled practice.
Phonics and Reading
At GSSC we are committed to teaching early reading skills through the DofE Validated systematic, synthetic phonics programme Monster Phonics.
Our Explorers, Detectives and Investigators utilise the Foundation stage of Monster Phonics with a focus on the critical role of building early-sound awareness and discrimination skills that will lead on to the phonological (syllables, word awareness, rhyme/alliteration, manipulation, segmenting, blending) and phonemic awareness (the ability to recognise and manipulate phonemes, the smallest unit of sound in spoken words) learned by our Investigators + and Researchers.
This programme teaches children to read words accurately and with fluency with good comprehension, using texts closely matched with their phonics proficiency.
In addition to this programme, all children are given a wide range of reading opportunities including:
- Whole class reading
- Independent reading
- Experiencing high quality texts through their daily class texts.
- Visits to our library
- Online books to share at home
Writing
Our writing curriculum uses picture stimulus’ as the basis for our exploration into language, with teachers as the narrator, bringing the scene alive. Writing and communication are intertwined as students are supported to access this new language and become writers of standard English through mark making opportunities, use of symbols, colourful semantics, writing and typing.
All the senses are engaged when developing writing skills, leading from concrete, practical sensory exploration through to application of abstract concepts.
Our English RIDE curriculums (writing, reading and phonics, spelling and handwriting) have been developed using Birth to 5 Matters, EYFS Development Matters and the National Curriculum to ensure that learning is broken down into small steps, allowing students clear, organised progression through Explorers, Detectives, Investigators, Investigators + and Researchers.
Writing is organised into 11 genres to ensure that a wide range of text types, vocabulary and ambitious language is learned, with sequenced units that build a deeper knowledge of the transcriptional and grammatical elements of writing over time to become increasingly accurate writers.
Genres are introduced in simple forms and revisited at each stage of the curriculum progression with increasing challenge. There is a strong focus on gaining vocabulary knowledge and using ambitious language. Writing skills are built upon in each stage of the curriculum progression through the genre threads, each with their own key language and texts features.