Our Vision

All members of the school community work in active partnership so that children go into the wider world as well-rounded, well-educated, healthy, happy, aspirational citizens who are forward-thinking and responsible.

 

Our Priorities

Ongoing priorities:

• All learning activities help children to know and remember more, deepening their understanding of what they are learning.
• Continue to develop and maintain parent partnerships, regularly assess the effectiveness of our actions so that all parents know what children are learning.

 

Priority 1: To further develop communication and language, and writing in Early Years Foundation Stage

Priority 2: To further build oracy skills into the curriculum so that every child (including those with Special Educational Needs/Disabilities and Disadvantaged pupils) develop linguistic skills.  (equality objective)

Priority 3: To diminish identified gaps in attainment and/or progress in reading, writing and maths across all phases between Disadvantaged pupils and the National other averages.

 

Ongoing priority:

All learning activities help children to know and remember more, deepening their understanding of what they are learning.

How this principle works in practice

• Carefully Sequenced Learning: Activities build progressively on prior knowledge so children can connect new ideas.
• Active Engagement: Tasks encourage children to talk, question, and explore, reinforcing memory through participation.
• Repetition with Variety: Concepts are revisited in different contexts to strengthen recall and deepen comprehension.
• Assessment for Learning: Teachers check understanding regularly to ensure knowledge is secure and misconceptions addressed.
• Application Across Contexts: Children use what they’ve learned in new situations, showing deeper mastery.

 

Ongoing priority:

Continue to develop and maintain parent partnerships, regularly assess the effectiveness of our actions so that all parents know what children are learning.

Communication Channels

• Share regular updates through newsletters, letters, emails, forums and the school website.
• Continue to audit parental engagement through the parent partnership award standards and the framework for family engagement review
• Hold regular forums
• Conduct regular surveys
• Provide clear, termly curriculum overviews.

 

 

Priority 1: To further develop communication and language, and writing in Early Years Foundation Stage

Strategies to Develop Communication & Language

• Rich Talk Environments: Adults model varied vocabulary, ask open‑ended questions, and encourage extended conversations.
• Storytelling & Role Play: Dramatic play builds narrative skills, sequencing, and expressive language.
• Listening Games: Activities like “Simon Says” or sound discrimination games strengthen attention and auditory processing.
• Peer Interaction: Small group discussions foster confidence and collaborative communication.

 

Strategies to Develop Writing

• Mark‑Making Opportunities: Provide diverse tools (chalk, crayons, sand trays) to encourage early writing attempts.
• Link to Emotions & Experiences: Invite children to write or draw about feelings, friendships, or familiar events.
• Shared Writing: Adults scribe children’s spoken stories, showing how oral language connects to written text.
• Fine Motor Development: Activities like threading, playdough, and building strengthen hand muscles for writing.

 

Why PSED Underpins Communication and Writing

• Confidence & Self‑esteem: Children who feel secure and valued are more willing to express themselves verbally and in writing.
• Relationships & Interaction: Positive social interactions encourage turn‑taking, listening, and collaborative storytelling.
• Emotional Regulation: Being able to manage feelings supports focus, persistence, and resilience in communication tasks.
• Sense of Identity: When children can talk about themselves and their experiences, they build meaningful connections to language and writing.

 

How personal, Social, Emotional Development (PSED) supports these skills

PSED Aspect	Impact on Communication	Impact on Writing
Self‑confidence	Willingness to talk about their understanding and speak in groups	Motivation to attempt writing
Managing feelings	Effective listening & turn‑taking	Focus and persistence
Building relationships	Richer vocabulary through play eager to come to school	Collaborative story writing
Self‑awareness	Expressing personal experiences	Writing meaningful content

 

Practical Example

• A role‑play corner set up as a “post office”:
• Children talk to each other about sending letters (communication).
• They listen and respond to peers’ ideas (language).
• They write postcards or draw stamps (writing).
• They share feelings about who they’re writing to (PSED).

 

Priority 2: To further build oracy skills into the curriculum so that every child (including those with Special Educational Needs/Disabilities and Disadvantaged pupils) develop linguistic skills. (Equality objective)

As part of our school development we are working on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. It’s a really powerful truth — speaking and listening are the invisible scaffolding of children’s development. In short, speaking and listening are not just communication skills — they are the threads weaving together academic success, language growth, and social wellbeing.

 

Speaking and Listening: Core to Child Development

Speaking and listening skills underpin children’s academic achievement, vocabulary development, and social confidence. They are the foundation upon which literacy, learning, and relationships are built.

Academic Achievement

• Oral language is the primary medium of teaching and learning in the early years.
• Listening attentively enables children to follow instructions, grasp concepts, and engage.
• Speaking confidently allows them to share ideas, ask questions, and demonstrate understanding.

Vocabulary Development

• Conversations expose children to new words in meaningful contexts.
• Speaking gives children opportunities to practice and embed vocabulary, strengthening memory and expressive language.

Social Confidence

• Dialogue teaches turn-taking, empathy, and perspective-taking.
• Children gain confidence when their voices are heard and valued.
• Effective communication supports friendships, collaboration, and resilience in social settings.

Practical ways to nurture speaking and listening at home

• Storytelling and role play: Encourage children to retell stories or act out scenarios.
• Dialogic reading: Pause during shared reading to ask open-ended questions.
• Provide opportunities for children to share ideas and listen to others.
• Provide opportunities for problem-solving tasks that require negotiation and explanation.

 

Priority 3 To diminish identified gaps in attainment and/or progress in reading, writing and maths across all phases between Disadvantaged pupils and the National other averages.