At Fern House School we recognise that many of our children arrive at our school with low levels of English language acquisition, and therefore the area of communication and language development is a priority. We recognise that it is fundamental to the acquisition of academic skills and that it is an essential life skill to ensure success beyond the school years. Oracy is promoted through, for example, explicit vocabulary lessons as well as in modelling and encouraging the use of full sentences throughout the school day. 

Reading is taught daily, either one-to-one or in small groups, and follows the Read Write Inc. structured phonics programme, validated by the Department for Education, designed to ensure that children learn to read accurately and fluently. Developing a love of reading is paramount. It not only aids vocabulary expansion and enhances knowledge but also reduces stress, improves concentration and increases the imagination. We promote reading through daily class story time, one-to-one reading with a book of a child’s choice and practical, role play activities relating to key taught texts. 

The teaching of writing follows the Talk for Writing process, an approach that aims to improve writing ability by giving pupils an understanding of the structure and elements of written language. It is interactive, playful and transferrable and gives children a clear structure as a model for which to add their own ideas and create original texts.