Language and literacy skills are fundamental to learning at Moorfield. Our high-quality English teaching and learning, throughout the primary years, enables your child to read fluently, speak clearly, listen attentively and write well for all purposes. At Moorfield, we know how strong writing is key to academic success and gives your child a voice to share their ideas with the world. We combine traditional skills with the latest expertise to develop competent writers and enthusiastic learners.
Reading is a significant focus as children move through school and we aim to foster a love of reading in every child. A rigorous programme of phonics in the lower school ensures our youngest pupils have the knowledge and strategies they need to decode texts and build words. By keeping phonics sessions small and focused, each child receives teaching at exactly the right level, whilst carefully selected books support learning. Classes in all year groups have weekly sessions to borrow books from our well stocked library; they also benefit from visiting authors, book swaps and book fairs. Daily individual and group guided reading forms part of our English curriculum, in both lower and upper school.
Developing vocabulary and learning to spell well are crucial if children are to become confident writers. We place emphasis on correct spelling because we believe that if children are confident spellers, they are much more likely to make adventurous vocabulary choices. We know that a good knowledge of grammar enables children to communicate their ideas and choose the right language for any situation. Fortunately, at Moorfield we recognise that learning to spell and write can be a lot of fun; we use modern methods and a variety of enjoyable ways to help your child learn to love writing.
Building confidence in public speaking is another element of the English curriculum at Moorfield. The children have a variety of opportunities to shine in this area, such as our annual poetry recital, entering prose recitals in the Wharfedale Festival and debating in Year Six.
In our most recent ISI report, inspectors noted, “Pupils of all ages produce a wide variety of competent writing.” Our headteacher, Mrs Herbert, comments, “With an increasing national focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar teaching in primary schools, we are proud of our teachers’ ability to ensure these basics are covered, without losing the fun and the passion for language, which is so vital if children are to become articulate and expressive adults.”
“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.”
Roald Dahl, Matilda