West Kirby Primary School is a reading school. We organise whole school enrichments, to introduce authors and poets, and celebrate events such as World Book Day and World Poetry Day. This gives our children the opportunity to be inspired and share collaborative learning experiences with other classes and year groups. We promote Reading for Pleasure throughout the academic year. Pupils visit our library which sits in the heart of our school every week and engage in book talk through our Children’s Chatter session every half term. Parents are also encouraged to build a reading culture at home through our Reading Sways and are welcomed into school to share stories and receive support with reading. Our school librarian, Library Jane, works closely with staff and children from Foundation Stage through to Year 6 to help promote Reading for Pleasure, often linking new, appealing texts to events and celebrations across the academic year including Black History Month, Diwali and Children’s Mental Health Week. By building strong relationships with the children, our librarian helps to extend reading choices and engage reluctant readers by offering texts and authors to suit every child’s interest. When able, we also invite outside providers into school to provide extra-curricular activities. Parents are informed of important milestones throughout their child’s education and how they can help to support. Every year group begins the Autumn Term with ‘Meet the Teacher’ meetings where parents are shown the Reading and Writing objectives that their child will need to secure by the end of the academic year. Parent meetings are also provided for EYFS & Year 1 Phonics and Year 6 SATs.
Evidence of the impact can be seen in our pupil's books, our displays and the children's own opinions of their learning during pupil voice interviews. Teachers set high standards for writing through quality-first teaching, which helps our children to develop confidence and pride through their own learning. Teacher judgements are internally moderated throughout the year within and across each key phase and writing progression can be seen from F2 through to Year 6. In pupil’s books, there are a wide range of writing genres influenced by a variety of engaging texts. Feedback from teaching staff, both written and verbal, has impact on our pupils’ development, often with next step questions to push learning forward. Children are also becoming increasingly independent in their reading choices as they have been encouraged by class teachers and our school librarian to talk about the books they have read from the beginning of their school journey. We promote the importance of early reading and Reading for Pleasure to parents who have supported the school by donating generously to provide new books for every classroom. The English Lead shares information throughout the academic year with teachers and teaching assistants to support learning and CPD. SLT and the Governing Body can track actions, training, monitoring, progress and attainment via the English Subject SEF and Action Plan.
English Subject Leader: Mrs McNerlin