Our dynamic English curriculum provides pupils with transferable skills and fosters a love of literature from an early age.
At The Roche School, we seek to inspire a love of reading and self-expression. Our well-stocked and diverse library sits at the heart of the school, as we believe reading is fundamental to development, both intellectually and emotionally. Children are exposed to a wide range of literature and reading habits to stimulate their imagination, expand their vocabulary and motivate learning. English lessons are taught with creativity at the heart, offering opportunities for children to express their thoughts and responses to inspiring stimuli through verbal, dramatic and written outcomes. School events, such as Poetry Week, competitions and performances give further opportunities for this. Emphasis is placed on each child developing coherence and vivacity in their writing, whilst improving their syntax, punctuation and spelling.
The Roche School welcomes and values the cultural, linguistic and educational experiences that pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) bring to the school. We implement school-wide strategies to ensure that pupils with EAL are supported in accessing the curriculum so that they can reach their full potential. Pupils are provided with the skills they need to take responsibility for their learning, ask questions, build good learning habits and reflect on their progress. Dedicated tuition is offered from specialist teachers in addition to the curriculum.
For more information on how English lessons are organised, please see our Setting and Small Groups Policy.
Global Citizens
Reception's reading of The Leopard's Drum led them to explore the richness of West African heritage. Lessons involved making African masks, trying traditional clothes and even drumming. They went on to discuss similarities between West Africa and the UK, all in-keeping with our desire to make our pupils into global citizens with an open-minded outlook.
Poetry Explosion
There was an explosion of word play when Miss Amy’s Year 4 Class used poetry to describe the excitement of a firework display. Their impressive verse was expressively performed as can be seen by clicking here for the pyrotechnic video.
Shakespeare Week
The school was buzzing with sword fights, ‘hey nonny nos’, and the three witches conjuring up spells as Roche pupils immersed themselves in Shakespeare Week. The annual event is planned for maximum creativity, using plays, poems, and sonnets to explore language and ideas. An actor from The Globe gave an original interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Reception, Year 1, and Year 2. The Master of Dulwich College, Dr Joseph Spence, brought the week to a close by judging the children’s performances in a Shakespeare competition. Watch the video here.