Vision Statement
At John Scurr Primary School, English sits at the heart of our curriculum – it is through language, story and text that children learn to form concepts, connect ideas and express themselves. Through literacy, in all its forms, children learn to both make sense of our rapid and ever changing world and understand their place within it.
At our school, we believe that a strong foundation in vocabulary is essential for every child's success. From the age of two, our pupils embark on an exciting linguistic journey. We teach them to use key vocabulary and explore the fascinating connections between words through etymology and morphology. This comprehensive approach ensures that by the time they complete their primary education, they possess the language skills necessary to comprehend sophisticated texts and express themselves confidently in any situation. Our commitment to vocabulary development empowers our students to thrive academically and socially, setting them up for a bright future.
We have an ambitious, fulfilling and rewarding English curriculum that provides purposeful opportunities for speaking, reading and writing. Our English curriculum is taught, using CUSP (Curriculum by Unity Schools Partnership) from the very start of their journey in our two year old provision through to the end of their time at John Scurr in year six. This ensures that all children are seamlessly prepared for the next stage in their learning. The CUSP Curriculum has been deliberately designed using the latest evidence-based research.
Oracy
Speaking is at the heart of every learning experience. We believe that the quality and variety of language pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary, grammar, and understanding of reading and writing. By continually fostering pupils’ confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills, we equip them to lead successful, fulfilling lives.
Oracy is integrated across our curriculum using a structured framework. We teach children to respectfully discuss and explain their understanding using specific Oracy talk roles: launcher, builder, challenger, clarifier, prober, and summariser. Each classroom features a set of discussion guidelines that facilitate rich conversations and provide children with the confidence to share their ideas. We collaborate with Voice 21, CUSP Unity Curriculum and the Tower Hamlets Oracy Hub to embed Oracy skills throughout our curriculum.
"We believe all children, regardless of their background, are entitled to an Oracy education." - Voice 21
Oracy Assemblies
Weekly Oracy assemblies offer children the chance to debate and share their ideas with peers from different year groups. These assemblies involve mixed year groups seated in talking circles, discussing stimuli ranging from pictures and videos to stories and open-ended questions. Children lead the discussions, playing an active role in the assemblies.
"Oracy assemblies have helped me to talk to children in different year groups and improve the skill of inviting children into conversations." - Year 4
Oracy Enrichment Opportunities
As a Lead CUSP School, we have been invited to participate in the first ever Festival of Spoken Word in November 2024. This will be an exciting opportunity for all children from year one to year six to refine and develop their spoken language, listening and presenting skills.
For our Year 5 and 6 students, we provide additional opportunities to develop presentational speaking and debating skills via Debate Mate, an extra-curricular club. Participants proudly represent the school in borough-wide debating competitions, including the Urban Debate League and the Debate Mate Cup. Add a hyperlink to the Debate Mate Club
At John Scurr Primary School, we are dedicated to nurturing articulate and confident communicators, prepared to thrive in a diverse and dynamic world.