THRASS

• THRASS is a phonological awareness scheme used from the time a child starts school until they are proficient, usually by Year 3.
• The English and SEN Co-ordinator & Teachers in Year 3 and KS1 are trained in the use of ‘THRASS’ resources.
• THRASS is used within word work slots, when hearing readers and to support children’s independent work.
• THRASS is used within word work across KS2 where it supports the delivery of specific learning objectives e.g. in Year 3 vowel phonemes, in Year 6 learning to spell words which contain an unstressed vowel.

Additional Literacy Support

• Resources are available to support the teaching of intervention groups in Years 4 & 5.
• ALS groups should be kept to a maximum of 6 children.
• ALS addresses gaps in children’s phonics knowledge, supports text work both in both reading and writing, and sentence level work.
• There are 4 modules which could be run chronologically, or dipped into to target particular learning objectives.

Further Literacy Support

• Resources are available to support the teaching of intervention groups in Years 4 & 5.
• It is suggested that the group size is approximately 6-8, although some resources could be used with a whole class.

Phonological Awareness Training

• PAT is different from THRASS and the two programmes should not be used at the same time.  PAT normally starts in Year 4.
• The PAT programme is used to support Low band groups throughout KS2.  These are children identified as below ‘Intervention’ level for year group.
• It is administered by LSA and overseen by class teachers and the SEN co-ordinator.
• The LSA responsible for administering the programme will have a group of up to 6 children.
• PAT takes place daily for approximately 20 minutes.
• There are 4 levels to the programme.
• As the children make progress, discussion with staff may lead to a child being taken off the PAT programme.  It may be appropriate however, for a child to remain on the PAT programme throughout KS2.

Literacy Groups

• Ability banded for Literacy lesson – groups regularly reviewed and adjusted where appropriate.
• Thematic Literacy activities groups maybe mixed ability.

Key Stage 2 Literacy

Libraries

• All non-fiction books held in the main Junior Library are organised using the Dewey system.
• Children at Years 3 & 4 who need them, still have access to the levelled scheme reading books, including the Oxford Reading Tree.
• Also within the Lower Junior department are a selection of ‘interim’ books, for children who have moved off scheme books, but may not be ready to use the main KS2 library.
• ‘Free’ reading Lower Juniors are able to borrow books from the main KS2 library, as are all Upper Junior children.
• The ‘Alice’ system is in place to track the borrowing of books.
• A small selection of scheme books are available for Upper Junior children with Special Educational Needs.
• These books are stored in the Upper Junior library area.

Literacy Groups

• Reading.
• Guided reading in Literacy in the Lower Juniors.
• Intervention/SEN reading groups within Upper and Lower Juniors are taught by the child’s literacy/class teacher, LSAs, Speech & Language Co-ordinator.
• PAT with groups throughout KS2.  These children are identified as working below the intervention level for their year group (see PAT section).
• In Year 3, approximately one third of the year group are identified as needing individual reading, this happens approximately once a fortnight.
• In Year 3 there is a continuation of the KS1 Oxford Reading Tree ‘Early Morning Groups’, which practise high frequency  and core vocabulary words.  This happens daily with 2 groups of 4 children, it is run by a LSA for a 20 minute slot.
• Children who move into Year 3 on a level of 2.2 and below should be tested half termly on the KS1 SAT running reading programme.  A programme should be drawn up to address individual needs.  These children should be carefully tracked until they reach 2.8.
• Wellington Square is provided by a LSA (overseen by year team staff) for a group of children in Year 4, identified as being ‘Intervention’.  This takes place twice a week with a group of eight children.
• The Speech & Language Co-ordinator plans work for a group of eight children in Years 5 & 6 following the ‘Reading for Meaning programme’.  She also works with eight ‘intervention’ children from Year 4 on comprehension skills.
• Reading club is offered to Year 3 & 4 children, identified as being ‘Intervention’. This involves the child being heard to read weekly, by a Year 6 partner.  It is monitored for progress by the year team and the co-ordinator.
• Children across KS2 are able to access/choose reading books from three different areas: Scheme books, Lower Junior short novels ‘Interim’ book, the main KS2 library (see libraries section).  The monitoring of choices made, happens by teaching and support staff, through individual/group slots and general library time.

Comprehension

• Weekly slot throughout KS2 using Cornerstones/ Longman/Past SAT papers/Reading for Meaning resources etc. for both oral and written comprehension.  These may be carried out during Literacy lessons, special needs time or as part of thematic work.
• A planning sheet/grid of comprehension skills has been developed to support staff in targeting children.
• Create comprehension questions at the end of each module.

Spelling Diaries

• Drama is taught across KS2 on a weekly basis.
• Speaking and Listening is a key feature of literacy lessons, including independent tasks.
• Role play corners are set up, with quality tasks, in Years 3 to 5 as part of the Fiction Based Project Work.
• Play scripts and story tapes are available to support work in this area.
• Every 2 weeks, the Chief Speech and Language Therapist works with a group of children, across KS2, who have identified receptive and expressive language difficulties.
• Listening & Speaking is integral to all lessons.
• Correct poor diction all the time.

Writing

• Success Ladders are used throughout KS2 as a way of identifying features of genre, tool for teacher modelling, assessments and as a marking key.
• Each genre/format has the process modelled and is followed by independent writing opportunities. In Year 6 these follow every taught module, in Year 5 these are at least once a term.
• In the Upper Juniors there are regular opportunities for timed writing practice.
• Every half term, all KS2 children complete a piece of assessed writing (fiction alternating with non-fiction).  This is based on a taught module and goes into each child’s hardback assessment book.

Early Morning Reading Groups

• Year 3 have a core spelling diary as a revision programme of all the KS1 teaching.  This diary is also available to support any child who may still need it in Years 4, 5 & 6.
• Years 4 & 5 have diaries of high frequency words, appropriate to the year group.  These are based on the National Literacy Strategy word lists.
• The Year 6 diary revises key patterns in preparation for SATs.
• Termly word work diaries are being developed for each year group.
• Children are encouraged to practise at home using the Look-Cover-Write-Check system.
• Spelling is taught as part of daily word work.  This is the teaching of high frequency words and pattern words, relating to word work objectives.
• A block of high frequency words (approximately 5) are tested each week.  There will also be points across the term where a random selection of year group words are tested.
• At the start and end of each term a test and/or dictation is carried out on that terms words, progress is monitored and any mistakes carried over to be re-learnt.
• Words relating to the teaching of word work patterns should also be learnt and assessed at the end of a block of work.  Again mistakes should be carried over to be re-learnt.

Handwriting

• Weekly teaching and daily practise slots for all children.  This is usually first thing in the morning.
• Progress is regularly monitored and reviewed.
• We follow the Sasoon Primary style.