At Oxbridge School, we believe reading is a fundamental aspect of students’ learning of the English language and that is why we follow an award-winning literacy curriculum that follows the UK National Curriculum. Reading helps children learn to make sense not only of the world around them but also people, building social-emotional skills and of course, imagination. Confidence in the English language greatly enhances opportunities in science, business, media and the internet, in all of which the language is pre eminent as it is in global travel and study. The Oxbridge book-based approach enables our students to focus their learning by having :
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Thematic links- each book within a term links themes and conventions that are significant to the literature.
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Engaging starting points- Dramatic conventions resonate with the students and create a hook which encourage students to want to know more.
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Embedded comprehension- Reading comprehension is embedded within the text creating purposeful opportunities for students to practice their skills.
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Embedded grammar- Explicit grammar skills for writing taught in a context that enables students to apply them purposefully.
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Spelling & Vocabulary- Explicit spelling skills are explored and linked to vocabulary acquisition.
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Literacy language- Explicitly taught and applied in our students writing.
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Purpose & Audience- Distinct shorter and longer writing opportunities rather than genre-led
All stories within our curriculum follow a termly theme. In Year 3 for example, Oxbridge students focus on disaster, hope & healing. They study ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ with versions both by Robert Browning and Michael Morpurgo. They also look at the story ‘Escape from Pompeii’ by Christina Balit. Theis story for example looks at the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
By engaging students in this book-centred approach, they become critical readers and acquire a myriad of skills as they encounter a wide-range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. With a fantastic book, language, vocabulary and grammar comes to life from the text and creates a perfect opportunity for vocabulary acquisition, where students feel inclusive and part of the process and students engaging in writing opportunities relating to the books being studied gives purpose to the student’s work.
The Oxbridge curriculum gives students real reasons to read, write and understand, enabling them to explain, persuade, inform or instruct. All of which will be essential skills for our future world changers! Come and see our curriculum in action on a school tour.
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