Eng: 2019 Ofsted Inspection Handbook & 2014 National Curriculum for English

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Eng: 2019 Ofsted Inspection Handbook & 2014 National Curriculum for English

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

We are very lucky in England because the expectations and guidance described in this latest Ofsted Inspection Handbook leaves no doubt about the importance of teaching reading through a Systematic Synthetic Phonics approach starting in the 'early years' alongside plenty of exposure to language and literature.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 300519.pdf
School inspection handbook

Handbook for inspecting schools in England under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

This handbook describes the main activities carried out during inspections of maintained schools and academies in England under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
See the National Curriculum programmes of study for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... s-of-study
Reading

The programmes of study for reading at key stages 1 and 2 consist of two dimensions:
 word reading
 comprehension (both listening and reading).

It is essential that teaching focuses on developing pupils’ competence in both dimensions; different kinds of teaching are needed for each.

Skilled word reading involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Underpinning both is the understanding that the letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words. This is why phonics should be emphasised in the early teaching of reading to beginners (i.e. unskilled readers) when they start school.

Good comprehension draws from linguistic knowledge (in particular of vocabulary and grammar) and on knowledge of the world. Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction. All pupils must be encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum. Reading widely and often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.

It is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Eng: 2019 Ofsted Inspection Handbook & 2014 National Curriculum for English

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

‘The school is determined that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities. All pupils, including the weakest readers, make sufficient progress to meet or exceed age-related expectations.’ Schools Inspection Handbook (SIH) May 2019 p87: 293
Teach with fidelity to an SSP programme

‘The school’s phonics programme matches or exceeds the expectations of the national curriculum and the early learning goals. The school has clear expectations of pupils’ phonics progress term-by-term, from Reception to Year 2.’ SIH p87: 293
Make a strong start in Reception
‘Reading, including the teaching of systematic, synthetic phonics, is taught from the beginning of Reception’ SIH 2019
Ensure cumulative progression of sounds and books

‘The sequence of reading books shows a cumulative progression in phonics knowledge that is matched closely to the school’s phonics programme. Teachers give pupils sufficient practice in reading and re-reading books that match the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they know, both at school and at home.’ SIH p87: 293
Build a team of expert reading teachers
‘The school has developed sufficient expertise in the teaching of phonics and reading.’ SIH p87: 293
Ongoing assessment and guarantee targeted support
‘The ongoing assessment of pupils’ phonics progress is sufficiently frequent and detailed to identify any pupil who is falling behind the programme’s pace. If they do fall behind, targeted support is given immediately.’ SIH p87: 293
Develop vocabulary and comprehension through language play and literature
‘Stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction are chosen for reading to develop pupils’ vocabulary, language comprehension and love of reading. Pupils are familiar with and enjoy listening to a wide range of stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction.’ SIH p87: 293
The school leadership team:

- Ensures that there is one systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme taught with fidelity, consistency and continuity from Reception to Y2
- Avoids mixing SSP programmes
- Ensures that the SSP programme sets out daily expectations for teaching NC word reading, handwriting and spelling
- Is confident that teaching the SSP programme will ensure success for all pupils.

Pupils are taught to:

1. Respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes
2. Sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly
3. Form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place
4. Read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught
5. Read words containing taught GPCs and –s, –es, –ing, –ed, –er and –est endings
6. Read other words of more than one syllable that contain taught GPCs
7. Spell words containing each of the 40+ GPCs already taught
8. Read common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
9. Spell common exception words
10. Read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words
11. Re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading
12. Write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far.

NC 2014 Year 1 Word reading, spelling and handwriting
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Eng: 2019 Ofsted Inspection Handbook & 2014 National Curriculum for English

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Good signs in England of organisations getting on board with Ofsted's raised levels of emphasis on schools teaching 'systematic synthetic phonics' right from the Foundation Stage (4 to 5 year olds). Here you can see Herts of Learning clarifying expectations:


viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1304&p=2671#p2671
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Eng: 2019 Ofsted Inspection Handbook & 2014 National Curriculum for English

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

I have great admiration for Gill Jones, Early Education Deputy Director for Ofsted, and here she describes the thinking underpinning the latest Ofsted inspection handbook - well worth a view not only in England but in other countries with regard to their early years settings:
Gill Jones explains the new Ofsted inspection framework | The Famly Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iwXSyPBksE
Ofsted’s deputy director of early education Gill Jones speaks with us all about the new Ofsted inspection framework and what it means for the early years. She explains what Ofsted mean by the new ‘Quality of Education’ category, along with the role behaviour, vocabulary, and outcomes have to play in the framework.
About Gill Jones:
Gill Jones is Ofsted's Early Education Deputy Director. She was appointed a Senior HMI in January 2013, having joined Ofsted in 2007. She is a qualified teacher and has extensive leadership and management experience as a headteacher and local authority inspector. She was a Consultant Leader for the National College and led training for headteachers and school improvement partners.
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