English

At Dorchester Primary School, English is designed to be exciting and engaging for all children. Literacy lessons can be based on texts, picture books, videos and other stimuli, to encourage children to write inspiring and powerful pieces of work. 

From the very start we take a systematic approach to learning to read, using the Little Wandle Phonics scheme in Early Years and Key Stage 1.

Children partake in daily reading, and have access to a range of banded books, as well as a huge library of texts. Reading is an integral part of the English curriculum at Dorchester; it is explored both in stand-alone lessons, and in a cross-curricular fashion across the breadth of our subjects.

Each classroom has an engaging book corner to encourage a love of literature and learning through language. 

Every half term, children complete a 'Star Write', which is a published piece of work based on all their learning. Star Writes have three key focusses, which are taken directly from the National Curriculum. Please see the progression document below to discover what the children write about in each year group!