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A decade before the Literacy Hour and the
prominence given to the subject, the teaching of English at Darell won the school national
recognition in the press and on television in 1991.
Following a country-wide survey into reading standards, carried out by HMI, Darell was
singled out for praise by the House of Commons Select Committee on Education, Science and
Arts who came as a group to visit the school and see for themselves how reading is taught
here. The written materials for teachers and parents created by Darell’s language
co-ordinator, Sarah Pring, were published by the Committee as models of their kind.
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| Gumdrop
came to visit us during Book Week. |
English in the primary school is divided into four main areas; speaking and listening,
reading and writing. In a sense, every lesson is an English lesson as language work is
demanded in every aspect of the child’s school life.
Language is the key to success at school, and the more language skills each child
develops, the greater will be her or his success in other areas. Some of the most
important language skills, such as the ability to describe or express abstract thoughts
are also the most difficult to teach, learn and measure.
 The Literacy Hour has been adopted at Darell,
as it has throughout the country. It is an ambitious and highly structured programme of
work in Primary English and provides continuity and structure throughout the school.
Teachers and
children are enthusiastic about this innovation which details the structure of a daily
language lesson. In the course of each lesson children look at the way words work or
spelling patterns, the way sentences are structured and the nature of different kinds of
texts such as stories or instructions.
Reading and writing is an area where a true partnership between home and school is vital.
From the outset, we give parents access to booklets, documents and talks to build up that
partnership, so that children can learn more effectively. Successful readers invariably
have had considerable support from parents and the school.
 Drama lessons form an important part of the English curriculum. They also contribute to
the development of verbal skills and build the children’s confidence and sensitivity.
Children at Darell have opportunities to see plays acted and to perform for an audience.
Media studies have become increasingly significant and children in the school reflect on
their own experience as readers and writers of media: television, radio, computer
displays, newspapers, magazines etc.
We aim to teach each child
to speak clearly and confidently; to listen actively; to write with correct spelling and
grammar, clear handwriting, originality, feeling and sincerity; and to read with fluency
and understanding to the fullest extent of the child’s capabilities.
Darell’s former headteacher, Brian Thompson, was one of the original research team
that developed the BREAKTHROUGH TO LITERACY scheme, a method of teaching reading and
writing that has been used by millions of children in many countries around the world.
Books and Libraries
Books have a high profile in the school, with
displays and book collections in many of the public spaces in the building. The corridor
outside the nursery houses a library for fiction and picture story books. The other lower
floor corridor and large hall have boxes of books which are used for teaching reading.
Other stock, similarly classified, is in the upstairs corridors.
There is also a reference library. Its books and other materials are classified according
to the Dewey Decimal System used by most British public libraries.
Despite rising costs and finite resources, we consider the quality of our book provision
to be one of our most valuable resources. We systematically add to the stock in all
departments from our school budget with considerable additional support from our PTA. The
children make links with the local libraries. They learn how to use a library and how to
become a borrower.
Older children learn research techniques and higher reading skills, such as the ability to
use standard reference works and retrieval systems such as catalogues and indexes.
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| Book
week dress-up day... |
...
and the character parade |
The school’s tradition of Book Week is an important assertion of the importance of
literature in people’s lives. Each year the focus for the Book Week shifts from
imaginative literature, to reference works, important authors of the past and present and
the world of books and readers. Posters around the school indicate some of the themes of
Book Weeks of past years. All classes enjoy author visits and special lessons during the
annual Book Week.
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