English

We believe that reading is of vital importance. Nurturing a love of reading begins early and in collaboration with Skegness Infant Academy, we follow the Little Wandle approach to teaching phonics. Children who have not been successful in attaining the correct level in the Phonic Screen by the end of KS1 will benefit from this scheme. 

Reading

See the presentation below for information on Reading at our Academy:

 

At the heart of our curriculum, we aim for children to have a deep love of reading and to develop a wide vocabulary through exposure to a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts. Our children develop their skills through accessing a range of genres and authors, both classic and current.

Our reading scheme is based around the Oxford Reading Tree scheme with additional texts used to enhance our curriculum. Within our Academy we offer a wealth of books to support guided reading which, along with the Oxford Reading Tree, are book banded. We encourage our children to develop a love for reading through our regular guided reading sessions which happen daily across the academy as well as regular 'reading for pleasure' activities which take place in classrooms and in our newly refurbished library.

Lessons focus on the following comprehension skills:

• Vocabulary
• Infer
• Predict
• Explain
• Retrieve
• Summarise and Sequence

Children use a rich diet of texts to learn and practise these skills to gain a deeper understanding of the text and its relevant themes. Reading is taught through a whole class approach using a core quality text as a stimulus. The use of these texts link reading and writing together, creating contextualised and dynamic English lessons. The class texts are carefully chosen, and where appropriate linked, to help broaden children's vocabulary and their knowledge of topics studied elsewhere in the curriculum. There is also a focus on diversity in the selection of authors.  

Reading is a tool for life. Teaching children to become excellent readers is a large and exciting part of what we do at the Academy. We aim to give each child special reading time with exceptionally well-trained adults during the week. We enrich the curriculum with high quality texts through our book based curriculum, and engage with the 'Boom Reader' app to encourage parents to record children's reading during the week. Children will take home either a Little Wandle Phonic book or a text from our coloured book band system, matched to their reading ability. They will also have a reading for pleasure text, which they have chosen independently. The reading for pleasure text may not be matched to a child's reading level and so can be shared with a parent at home. 

It is an expectation that all children read as much as possible at home and that the 'Boom Reader' app is used to communicate this with teachers. We believe our families play a vital role in the development of reading skills, and we aim to foster a strong home-academy partnership using digital technology as a tool for communication between class teachers and parents.

We believe that children need to learn to read then read to learn.

Reading for Pleasure

The Lincolnshire Reading Pledge has been developed by Witham St Hughs English Hub and L.E.A.D. Teaching School Hub, working in collaboration with Professor Teresa Cremin (Reading for Pleasure & The Open University). The aims of our commitment to this pledge is to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, needs or abilities, becomes a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader.

Our love for reading is celebrated and given high priority at our academy. Our children are given the opportunity to read across all subjects in the curriculum and are given time to read independently every day.  Author visits, Author Book Pen Pals, local library trips, World Book Day celebrations, reading competitions and buddy reading are just some of the activities our children engage in to inspire their reading and writing.

Throughout the school, dynamic and engaging reading displays and book areas promote a love of reading and encourage our children to read for pleasure.

 

Please see our latest Reading Newsletter in the resources section below!

Welcome to Skegness Junior Academy’s new wishlist for books.
Here you’ll find a carefully curated selection of books, chosen to enhance our class book corners and school library and nurture a lifelong love of reading in our pupils.
To browse the books on our wishlist, or donate a book to school, please visit:
Skegness Junior Academy Reading Wishlist
Our wishlist will be updated throughout the year and is a fantastic way for parents and friends of our academy to support us in ensuring pupils have access to new and high-quality literature. By gifting a book to our school, you can help us create a vibrant and engaging learning environment, where each book becomes a gateway to new worlds, ideas and knowledge.
Contributions are voluntary, and we understand that not everyone is in a position to donate a book to the school. We thank you in advance for your ongoing support.

Our Writing Journey at Skegness Junior Academy

At Skegness Junior Academy, we are dedicated to developing confident, skilled writers through a well-structured, progressive writing curriculum. Our journey of writing has been carefully crafted in collaboration with our English consultant, Chris Whitney, through ongoing CPD, ensuring that our approach is both impactful and responsive to the needs of our learners. We also use digital technology to support children in writing, through using Virtual Reality headsets, iPads for using a wide range of apps to immerse the children into new and exciting worlds but also for dictation and a class set of laptops are just some of the exciting tools that we use to enrich writing. 

Our writing journey begins with the selection of high-quality, progressive texts, which are detailed in our Writing Curriculum (see resources below for this). These texts lay the foundation for meaningful learning and guide children through each stage of the writing process.

• Week 1 and Week 2: Exploring the Text and Writing Context
  In the first two weeks of each sequence, through carefully selected texts, children are introduced to opportunities for reading, writing composition, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, spelling and spoken language. We allow the text to guide our instruction, pausing at key moments to focus on the most relevant skills. This exploration provides a strong foundation for the writing process and prepares children to start drafting with clarity and intent. Through this integrated, page by page approach, we revisit previously taught skills and children make important links to prior learning, ensuring that their knowledge builds progressively. During these weeks, they also engage in short bursts of writing to refine their skills in preparation for their extended piece.
• Week 3: Extended Writing and Application
  In the final week of the sequence, children explore the purpose, audience, and form of their writing and then apply their knowledge, skills, and understanding to an extended write. This includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their work. This final stage allows students to showcase their progress and creativity, developing independence in their writing while honing their ability to reflect on and improve their work.

Our writing curriculum, shaped through professional development with Chris Whitney, is designed to help children think critically about their writing, always considering the form, purpose and audience. We are proud to foster young writers who are confident, reflective, and well-prepared to succeed in all areas of learning and beyond. At Skegness Junior Academy, we strive to nurture a love of writing that lasts a lifetime.

Vocabulary

We have invested in a wonderful online programme called Bedrock. This is an online programme where your child can access both non-fiction and fiction texts to improve their reading skills and learn new vocabulary that will enhance the way they read, speak and write across all of their subjects.

As your child progresses through the Bedrock curriculum, they will study hundreds of new words. Research has shown that there is a direct link between a student’s vocabulary size and their academic achievement. Children with a wider vocabulary make faster progress at school, in further education and beyond.

Children will have one session a week in school, and we will also encourage them to complete one session at home or in independent learning clubs in school time. Please log in to the website using the widget on the homepage and have a look around. Your child’s teacher will go through this in class with them, but there are guides for parents and carers on the website too. Please see helpful resources to support your child below with vocabulary!

Please also visit our Long Term Planning for all year groups in the files section on our main curriculum page.