St Stephen's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
St Stephen's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Literacy
Reading at St. Stephen's
At St. Stephen’s it is our goal to ensure all children learn to become fluent readers as quickly as possible. This is achieved through a combination of phonics, high frequency word recognition, group reading and whole-class guided reading sessions.
As of Spring 2022, we are transitioning from using Letters and Sounds to using Little Wandle. Phonics is introduced in our Nursery with the goal of ensuring that our Rising Receptions enter our Reception class having achieved Phase 2.
Little Wandle continues in Reception. Children are assessed on entry to our Reception class and the class is split into different groups based on their phonological understanding. We use Oxford Reading Tree books that have been aligned with the Little Wandle scheme as home readers for Reception children. Alongside their home reading books, children are also given high frequency words to learn by sight. By the end of Reception, we target all children to have a secure understanding of Phase 4.
Little Wandle continues in Year 1 with children grouped based on their phonological awareness. Sessions are taught daily. In Year 1 we also introduce the ‘Reading Swamp’ where children are benchmarked using PM Benchmarking and assigned to small, adult-led reading groups. The Reading Swamp consists of a revision of phonemes, high-frequency word recognition and reading. The Reading Swamp happens daily. We use Oxford Reading Tree Project X books for the Reading Swamp and have aligned them with the Little Wandle phases. In Year 1, children continue to move through our Oxford Reading Tree home-readers based on their benchmarked level. By the end of Year 1, we want all children to have a secure understanding of Phase 5 and to have developed reading fluency.
When children have progressed through all levels of the Oxford Reading Tree, they become ‘fluent readers’ and move to Whole-Class Reading sessions. These sessions are based on the National Curriculum Objectives for Reading. In these sessions, teachers may choose to use short texts from Rising Stars Cracking Comprehension for children to work on or longer novels.
Throughout their time at St. Stephen’s, children are encouraged to develop a love of reading. This is achieved through our ‘Book-based’ term of Linked Learning, weekly trips to our state-of-the-art Learning Hub where children can borrow books, our engaging Reading Corners where children are free to choose a book for pleasure whenever they like and daily reading of a class novel by the class teacher.
Year 1
Autumn
Changes
Stanley's Stick by John Hegley - A boy's imagination transforms a stick into a host of different things that he can play with.
Genre - Retelling, descriptions.
Dinosaur's and all that Rubbish by Michael Foreman - One day when Man had set out for a distant star, the dinosaurs came back to life and tided up the barren wastes he had left behind him. Man was only allowed back when he had agreed that the Earth should be shared and enjoyed by everyone.
Genre - Letters, setting descriptions, instructions, narrative (retelling), pamphlet, poster.
The Magic Bed by John Burningham - Georgie acquires a magic bed that transports him to magical places.
Genre - Setting description, additional scene, description of magical piece of furniture, lists.
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey - A selfish and greedy pug dog learns a lesson when he won't share his toys with another dog.
Genre - Character comparisons, fact sheets, shared poem, own version narrative.
Spring
Animals
Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov - A young autistic boy called Leo finds it hard to understand the world, until he connects with an octopus called Maya and begins to learn about friendship.
Genre - Letters, first person recount, diaries, letters, posters, reports.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen - A bear asks a series of animals if they have seen his missing hat.
Genre - Questions, speech bubbles, letters, lists.
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers - There once was a boy... and one day a penguin arrives on his doorstep. The boy decides the penguin must be lost and tries to return him. But no one seems to be missing a penguin. So the boy decides to take the penguin home himself, and they set out in his row boat on a journey to the South Pole.
Genre - Character descriptions, retellings, advice, instructions, non-chronological reports.
The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett - An unusual egg contains a surprise package.
Genre - Thought and speech bubbles, diary entry, letter, certificate.
Summer
Aspirations and Dreams
Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max - A little girl dreams of following in her mother's footsteps and becoming an astronaut.
Genre - Writing in role, commands,‘how to’ guides.
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love - A glimpse of three women dressed as mermaids leaves one boy filled with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
Genre - Instructions, writing in role, advertisements.
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beatty - The story of a young boy with an unusual hobby of architecture.
Genre - Labels, captions, character comparisons, thought and speech bubbles.
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson - A mammoth takes a baby to his cave to decorate the walls with paintings.
Genre - Labels and captions, informal letters.
Year 2
Autumn
Urban Metropolis
The Great Fire of London by Emma Adams - Explores the events surrounding the Great Fire of London which destroyed most of the capital, changing it's face forever.
Genre - Persuasive posters, warning posters (instructional writing), speech bubbles, letters of advice, certificates.
A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino - Follows a young girl and her mother as they take in all the different tourist attractions of the city of London.
Genre - Instructions, persuasive poster, setting descriptions, captions, postcards, diary entry.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beatty - A young girl is encouraged to realise her dream of becoming an engineer when her great aunt discovers one of her inventions which she keeps hidden.
Genre - Short explanations, writing in role, reports, adverts.
Spring
Habitats
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom - When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.
Genre - List poems, non-chronological reports (animals), chronological reports (life-cycles), character description, protest signs.
The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon - With his Arctic home melting away, a polar bear sails away in a boat, meeting other animals whose species and habitats have been destroyed by human activity.
Genre - Posters, lists, postcards, wanted posters, information report, short stories.
House Held Up By Trees by Ted Kooser - Tells the story of a house's changing surroundings with the passage of time, from a well maintained and neat lawn to overgrown trees.
Genre - Factual descriptions, advertisements, explanations, poetry.
Summer
Near and Far
Toys in Space by Mini Grey - A lonely alien beams up children's toys to keep him company because he has lost his own favourite toy.
Genre - Found posters, diary entries, speech bubbles, notes of advice, space logs, invitations, fantasy setting descriptions.
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield - A bear learns to play a piano he finds in the woods and travels to New York where he finds fame and fortune.
Genre - Letters of advice, short news-reports, writing in role, retellings, information poster.
The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear - Edward Lear's classic poem.
Genre - Letters, interviews, lists, instructions.
Year 3
Autumn
Transformations
The Tin Forest by Helen Ward - An old man tidies up thrown away rubbish and transforms a junkyard into a wonderland.
Genre - Persuasive posters, information leaflets, postcards, diary entries, wishes, setting descriptions.
The Last Garden by Rachel Ip - A little girl is forced to leave her garden in the city as war encroaches but when she returns months later she finds that it's not just in the garden that green things have flourished.
Genre - Setting descriptions, advertisement/poster, retelling, instructional flyer, social media updates, dialogue.
Black Dog by Levi Pinfold - A strange black dog grows bigger and bigger as each member of a family becomes terrified by it until the youngest family member makes them see the dog for what it is by not being scared of it.
Genre - Postcard, dialogue, retelling, description.
Spring
Discovery
How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson - Peter and his family live among the Quinces in the cookery section of a mystical library, and at night, when the library comes to life, Peter ventures out of his home to find a missing volume…
Genre - Lost posters, dialogue, setting and character descriptions, ledger entries, instructions, letters of warning.
Flotsam by David Wiesner - A boy discovers the mysteries of a camera washed up on the beach.
Genre - Postcards, setting descriptions, non- chronological reports, message in a bottle letters.
The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein - An imaginative cave boy tries to share the animal shapes he see in clouds and the walls of the cave he shares with his family, but no one else sees them until he makes the world's first drawing.
Genre - Character description, diary entry, recount.
Summer
Wider World
Cinderella of the Nile by Beverly Naidoo - An early version of the Cinderella story set in Ancient Egypt.
Genre - Short news report, diary entry, character description, advert.
Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit - Shows how two children escape from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.
Genre - Setting descriptions, diaries, letters, thought bubbles.
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham - Monkeys help a poor tea picker by picking the mystical Cloud Tea for her after she shares her food with them.
Genre - Descriptive passages, writing in role, ‘how to’ guide (instructions), letter, discussion.
Year 4
Autumn
Land and Sea
The Baker by the Sea by Paula White - A lyrical illustrated story that explores a child's relationship with his sleepy seaside fishing town.
Genre - Job applications, advertisements, setting descriptions, letter in role.
Shackleton's Journey by William Grill - An illustrated re-telling of Ernest Shackleton's landmark expedition crossing the Antarctic from one pole to the other.
Genre - Packing lists (justifications), letters (formal and informal), setting descriptions, interviews, diaries, dialogue.
The Mermaid of Zennor by Charles Causley - Tells of all the strange and wonderful things Zachy sees after Tom Taskis the tin miner runs off with a beautiful mermaid.
Genre - Information booklets, retelling from a different perspective, letters, tourist guides.
Spring
Taking Courage
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman - Odd helps the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Loki reclaim Asgard back from the Frost Giant who has captured it.
Genre - Narrative recount, character and setting descriptions, letters, short explanations.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Four adventurous siblings-Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie- step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
Genre - Poem, eyewitness report, an imaginary conversation, writing in role.
The Lion and the Unicorn by Shirley Hughes - A little boy finds comfort in a statue of a unicorn and the friendship of an injured soldier when he is evacuated from London during the war.
Genre - Letters, diary entries, character and setting descriptions, non-chronological reports.
Summer
Civilisations
Weslandia by Paul Fleischman - A boy discovers the delights of his back garden.
Genre - Retelling, character description, book review.
The Story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck - Retells the discovery of Egyptian boy-king, Tutankhamun's burial tomb by Howard Carter and how it helped open up our understanding of Ancient Egyptian life.
Genre - Non-chronological reports, instructions, character descriptions, diary entry, newspaper reports and posters.
Jonathon Swift's Gulliver by Jonathon Swift - A re-telling of Gulliver's travels to strange lands, where he is in turn small and large compared to the natives.
Genre - Character description, informative posters, persuasive leaflets, log book entries (recount).
Year 5
Autumn
Legacy
The Odyssey by Gillian Cross - Retelling of Homer's Greek epic which tells the story of Odysseus' journey back to his homeland after the fall of Troy
Genre - Speeches (proclamation, persuasive, soliloquy), diary entry, dialogue, missing scene, postcard, advertisement.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - An American teenager discovers he is half human, half Greek god, and sets about trying to avert a war among the Olympians
Genre - Poetry in the form of an ode, soliloquy, setting descriptions, diary entries, additional chapter, non-chronological reports.
Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo - In fifth-century Denmark, a murderous monster stalks the night, and only the great prince of the Geats has the strength and courage to defeat him. Beowulf's terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fire-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature.
Genre -Letter of advice, diary entry, dialogue, character and setting description, action scenes, obituary.
Spring
Space
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly - The story of four African American Women who defied the contemporary limitations of their sex and race to become key players in NASA's work in space exploration.
Genre - Non-chronological reports, job adverts, formal persuasive letters, informal letters, diary entries, character descriptions, opinion pieces.
Curiosity: the Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum - An illustrated non-fiction book about the search for life on Mars, told from the unique perspective of NASA's Mars rover, Curiosity.
Genre - Proposal to NASA, information labels, short explanation, NASA log of Mars landing, news report.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger - Tommy and his friends try to figure out whether a paper yoda finger puppet can predict the future.
Genre - Instructions, persuasion, recount (diary entry).
Summer
Journeys
Children of the Benin Kingdom by Dinah Orji - In twelfth-century West Africa, a young girl sets out to heal the wounds that are threatening to destroy the whole kingdom.
Genre - Informal letters, contrasting diary entries, survival guides, eyewitness reports, story summaries.
Alte Zachen by Ziggy Hanaor - As Benji and his Jewish grandma, Bubbe Rosa, search for dinner ingredients around New York, Bubbe reflects on her life in Germany and America.
Genre - Character descriptions, flashbacks, diary entries in role, short autobiographies.
Kaspar: Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo - A bell boy at the Savoy saves a cat and sails on the Titanic to America.
Genre - Character descriptions, reports, letters, advertising leaflet, balanced report.
Year 6
Autumn
Battles
Can We Save the Tiger? by Marin Jenkins - Highlights the threats that face our many endangered species of animals and what needs to be done to prevent them being added to the list of already extinct animals that have died out.
Genre - Letter, explanation, persuasive poster, persuasive speech, simple poem.
Suffragette, The Battle for Equality by David Roberts - Celebrates the centenary of the women's rights movement and the people who fought for the right for women to vote.
Genre - Formal letters, diary entries, balanced arguments, speeches, short news report.
Rain player by David Wisniewski - A year of terrible drought, the charts and calendars proclaim, and the people resign themselves to starvation - all except Pik, a young ballplayer. He stakes their survival on a game of pok-a-tok with the fierce rain god. If he wins, the rains will come. If he loses, however, all will be lost.
Genre - Instructions, poster, missing scene, diary, newspaper, debate.
Spring
Migration & Movement
Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles.
Genre - Poetry, informal message, formal letter, short information text, diary entry, narrative and action scenes, tweet
Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah - A young Jamaican boy arriving in Britain with his parents in the late 1940's tries to make the best of things despite of the racism he encounters.
Genre - Thought bubble, informal letter, poem, diary entry, advice.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan - What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown. This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey.
Genre - Letters, character descriptions, diaries, short playscripts, guides.
Summer
Conservation
The Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker - A boy discovers the under sea world of marine life.
Genre - Artwork description, thought bubble, diary entry, research notes, non-chronological report (in letter form).
The Last Bear by Hannah Gold - Eleven-year-old April accompanies her father to Bear Island in the Arctic for six months. There are no polar bears left on Bear Island, but one endless summer night, April meets one. Can she save him?
Genre - Character profile, figurative descriptions, dialogue, monologue, logbook entry, scientific report.
The Promise by Nicola Davies - A young girl steals an old lady's handbag but discovers acorns inside which she promises to plant around the city.
Genre -Experimentation with figurative language, report.
St Stephen's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
St Stephen's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Literacy
Reading at St. Stephen's
At St. Stephen’s it is our goal to ensure all children learn to become fluent readers as quickly as possible. This is achieved through a combination of phonics, high frequency word recognition, group reading and whole-class guided reading sessions.
As of Spring 2022, we are transitioning from using Letters and Sounds to using Little Wandle. Phonics is introduced in our Nursery with the goal of ensuring that our Rising Receptions enter our Reception class having achieved Phase 2.
Little Wandle continues in Reception. Children are assessed on entry to our Reception class and the class is split into different groups based on their phonological understanding. We use Oxford Reading Tree books that have been aligned with the Little Wandle scheme as home readers for Reception children. Alongside their home reading books, children are also given high frequency words to learn by sight. By the end of Reception, we target all children to have a secure understanding of Phase 4.
Little Wandle continues in Year 1 with children grouped based on their phonological awareness. Sessions are taught daily. In Year 1 we also introduce the ‘Reading Swamp’ where children are benchmarked using PM Benchmarking and assigned to small, adult-led reading groups. The Reading Swamp consists of a revision of phonemes, high-frequency word recognition and reading. The Reading Swamp happens daily. We use Oxford Reading Tree Project X books for the Reading Swamp and have aligned them with the Little Wandle phases. In Year 1, children continue to move through our Oxford Reading Tree home-readers based on their benchmarked level. By the end of Year 1, we want all children to have a secure understanding of Phase 5 and to have developed reading fluency.
When children have progressed through all levels of the Oxford Reading Tree, they become ‘fluent readers’ and move to Whole-Class Reading sessions. These sessions are based on the National Curriculum Objectives for Reading. In these sessions, teachers may choose to use short texts from Rising Stars Cracking Comprehension for children to work on or longer novels.
Throughout their time at St. Stephen’s, children are encouraged to develop a love of reading. This is achieved through our ‘Book-based’ term of Linked Learning, weekly trips to our state-of-the-art Learning Hub where children can borrow books, our engaging Reading Corners where children are free to choose a book for pleasure whenever they like and daily reading of a class novel by the class teacher.
Year 1
Autumn
Changes
Stanley's Stick by John Hegley - A boy's imagination transforms a stick into a host of different things that he can play with.
Genre - Retelling, descriptions.
Dinosaur's and all that Rubbish by Michael Foreman - One day when Man had set out for a distant star, the dinosaurs came back to life and tided up the barren wastes he had left behind him. Man was only allowed back when he had agreed that the Earth should be shared and enjoyed by everyone.
Genre - Letters, setting descriptions, instructions, narrative (retelling), pamphlet, poster.
The Magic Bed by John Burningham - Georgie acquires a magic bed that transports him to magical places.
Genre - Setting description, additional scene, description of magical piece of furniture, lists.
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey - A selfish and greedy pug dog learns a lesson when he won't share his toys with another dog.
Genre - Character comparisons, fact sheets, shared poem, own version narrative.
Spring
Animals
Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov - A young autistic boy called Leo finds it hard to understand the world, until he connects with an octopus called Maya and begins to learn about friendship.
Genre - Letters, first person recount, diaries, letters, posters, reports.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen - A bear asks a series of animals if they have seen his missing hat.
Genre - Questions, speech bubbles, letters, lists.
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers - There once was a boy... and one day a penguin arrives on his doorstep. The boy decides the penguin must be lost and tries to return him. But no one seems to be missing a penguin. So the boy decides to take the penguin home himself, and they set out in his row boat on a journey to the South Pole.
Genre - Character descriptions, retellings, advice, instructions, non-chronological reports.
The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett - An unusual egg contains a surprise package.
Genre - Thought and speech bubbles, diary entry, letter, certificate.
Summer
Aspirations and Dreams
Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max - A little girl dreams of following in her mother's footsteps and becoming an astronaut.
Genre - Writing in role, commands,‘how to’ guides.
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love - A glimpse of three women dressed as mermaids leaves one boy filled with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
Genre - Instructions, writing in role, advertisements.
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beatty - The story of a young boy with an unusual hobby of architecture.
Genre - Labels, captions, character comparisons, thought and speech bubbles.
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson - A mammoth takes a baby to his cave to decorate the walls with paintings.
Genre - Labels and captions, informal letters.
Year 2
Autumn
Urban Metropolis
The Great Fire of London by Emma Adams - Explores the events surrounding the Great Fire of London which destroyed most of the capital, changing it's face forever.
Genre - Persuasive posters, warning posters (instructional writing), speech bubbles, letters of advice, certificates.
A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino - Follows a young girl and her mother as they take in all the different tourist attractions of the city of London.
Genre - Instructions, persuasive poster, setting descriptions, captions, postcards, diary entry.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beatty - A young girl is encouraged to realise her dream of becoming an engineer when her great aunt discovers one of her inventions which she keeps hidden.
Genre - Short explanations, writing in role, reports, adverts.
Spring
Habitats
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom - When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.
Genre - List poems, non-chronological reports (animals), chronological reports (life-cycles), character description, protest signs.
The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon - With his Arctic home melting away, a polar bear sails away in a boat, meeting other animals whose species and habitats have been destroyed by human activity.
Genre - Posters, lists, postcards, wanted posters, information report, short stories.
House Held Up By Trees by Ted Kooser - Tells the story of a house's changing surroundings with the passage of time, from a well maintained and neat lawn to overgrown trees.
Genre - Factual descriptions, advertisements, explanations, poetry.
Summer
Near and Far
Toys in Space by Mini Grey - A lonely alien beams up children's toys to keep him company because he has lost his own favourite toy.
Genre - Found posters, diary entries, speech bubbles, notes of advice, space logs, invitations, fantasy setting descriptions.
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield - A bear learns to play a piano he finds in the woods and travels to New York where he finds fame and fortune.
Genre - Letters of advice, short news-reports, writing in role, retellings, information poster.
The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear - Edward Lear's classic poem.
Genre - Letters, interviews, lists, instructions.
Year 3
Autumn
Transformations
The Tin Forest by Helen Ward - An old man tidies up thrown away rubbish and transforms a junkyard into a wonderland.
Genre - Persuasive posters, information leaflets, postcards, diary entries, wishes, setting descriptions.
The Last Garden by Rachel Ip - A little girl is forced to leave her garden in the city as war encroaches but when she returns months later she finds that it's not just in the garden that green things have flourished.
Genre - Setting descriptions, advertisement/poster, retelling, instructional flyer, social media updates, dialogue.
Black Dog by Levi Pinfold - A strange black dog grows bigger and bigger as each member of a family becomes terrified by it until the youngest family member makes them see the dog for what it is by not being scared of it.
Genre - Postcard, dialogue, retelling, description.
Spring
Discovery
How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson - Peter and his family live among the Quinces in the cookery section of a mystical library, and at night, when the library comes to life, Peter ventures out of his home to find a missing volume…
Genre - Lost posters, dialogue, setting and character descriptions, ledger entries, instructions, letters of warning.
Flotsam by David Wiesner - A boy discovers the mysteries of a camera washed up on the beach.
Genre - Postcards, setting descriptions, non- chronological reports, message in a bottle letters.
The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein - An imaginative cave boy tries to share the animal shapes he see in clouds and the walls of the cave he shares with his family, but no one else sees them until he makes the world's first drawing.
Genre - Character description, diary entry, recount.
Summer
Wider World
Cinderella of the Nile by Beverly Naidoo - An early version of the Cinderella story set in Ancient Egypt.
Genre - Short news report, diary entry, character description, advert.
Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit - Shows how two children escape from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.
Genre - Setting descriptions, diaries, letters, thought bubbles.
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham - Monkeys help a poor tea picker by picking the mystical Cloud Tea for her after she shares her food with them.
Genre - Descriptive passages, writing in role, ‘how to’ guide (instructions), letter, discussion.
Year 4
Autumn
Land and Sea
The Baker by the Sea by Paula White - A lyrical illustrated story that explores a child's relationship with his sleepy seaside fishing town.
Genre - Job applications, advertisements, setting descriptions, letter in role.
Shackleton's Journey by William Grill - An illustrated re-telling of Ernest Shackleton's landmark expedition crossing the Antarctic from one pole to the other.
Genre - Packing lists (justifications), letters (formal and informal), setting descriptions, interviews, diaries, dialogue.
The Mermaid of Zennor by Charles Causley - Tells of all the strange and wonderful things Zachy sees after Tom Taskis the tin miner runs off with a beautiful mermaid.
Genre - Information booklets, retelling from a different perspective, letters, tourist guides.
Spring
Taking Courage
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman - Odd helps the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Loki reclaim Asgard back from the Frost Giant who has captured it.
Genre - Narrative recount, character and setting descriptions, letters, short explanations.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Four adventurous siblings-Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie- step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
Genre - Poem, eyewitness report, an imaginary conversation, writing in role.
The Lion and the Unicorn by Shirley Hughes - A little boy finds comfort in a statue of a unicorn and the friendship of an injured soldier when he is evacuated from London during the war.
Genre - Letters, diary entries, character and setting descriptions, non-chronological reports.
Summer
Civilisations
Weslandia by Paul Fleischman - A boy discovers the delights of his back garden.
Genre - Retelling, character description, book review.
The Story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck - Retells the discovery of Egyptian boy-king, Tutankhamun's burial tomb by Howard Carter and how it helped open up our understanding of Ancient Egyptian life.
Genre - Non-chronological reports, instructions, character descriptions, diary entry, newspaper reports and posters.
Jonathon Swift's Gulliver by Jonathon Swift - A re-telling of Gulliver's travels to strange lands, where he is in turn small and large compared to the natives.
Genre - Character description, informative posters, persuasive leaflets, log book entries (recount).
Year 5
Autumn
Legacy
The Odyssey by Gillian Cross - Retelling of Homer's Greek epic which tells the story of Odysseus' journey back to his homeland after the fall of Troy
Genre - Speeches (proclamation, persuasive, soliloquy), diary entry, dialogue, missing scene, postcard, advertisement.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - An American teenager discovers he is half human, half Greek god, and sets about trying to avert a war among the Olympians
Genre - Poetry in the form of an ode, soliloquy, setting descriptions, diary entries, additional chapter, non-chronological reports.
Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo - In fifth-century Denmark, a murderous monster stalks the night, and only the great prince of the Geats has the strength and courage to defeat him. Beowulf's terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fire-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature.
Genre -Letter of advice, diary entry, dialogue, character and setting description, action scenes, obituary.
Spring
Space
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly - The story of four African American Women who defied the contemporary limitations of their sex and race to become key players in NASA's work in space exploration.
Genre - Non-chronological reports, job adverts, formal persuasive letters, informal letters, diary entries, character descriptions, opinion pieces.
Curiosity: the Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum - An illustrated non-fiction book about the search for life on Mars, told from the unique perspective of NASA's Mars rover, Curiosity.
Genre - Proposal to NASA, information labels, short explanation, NASA log of Mars landing, news report.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger - Tommy and his friends try to figure out whether a paper yoda finger puppet can predict the future.
Genre - Instructions, persuasion, recount (diary entry).
Summer
Journeys
Children of the Benin Kingdom by Dinah Orji - In twelfth-century West Africa, a young girl sets out to heal the wounds that are threatening to destroy the whole kingdom.
Genre - Informal letters, contrasting diary entries, survival guides, eyewitness reports, story summaries.
Alte Zachen by Ziggy Hanaor - As Benji and his Jewish grandma, Bubbe Rosa, search for dinner ingredients around New York, Bubbe reflects on her life in Germany and America.
Genre - Character descriptions, flashbacks, diary entries in role, short autobiographies.
Kaspar: Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo - A bell boy at the Savoy saves a cat and sails on the Titanic to America.
Genre - Character descriptions, reports, letters, advertising leaflet, balanced report.
Year 6
Autumn
Battles
Can We Save the Tiger? by Marin Jenkins - Highlights the threats that face our many endangered species of animals and what needs to be done to prevent them being added to the list of already extinct animals that have died out.
Genre - Letter, explanation, persuasive poster, persuasive speech, simple poem.
Suffragette, The Battle for Equality by David Roberts - Celebrates the centenary of the women's rights movement and the people who fought for the right for women to vote.
Genre - Formal letters, diary entries, balanced arguments, speeches, short news report.
Rain player by David Wisniewski - A year of terrible drought, the charts and calendars proclaim, and the people resign themselves to starvation - all except Pik, a young ballplayer. He stakes their survival on a game of pok-a-tok with the fierce rain god. If he wins, the rains will come. If he loses, however, all will be lost.
Genre - Instructions, poster, missing scene, diary, newspaper, debate.
Spring
Migration & Movement
Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles.
Genre - Poetry, informal message, formal letter, short information text, diary entry, narrative and action scenes, tweet
Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah - A young Jamaican boy arriving in Britain with his parents in the late 1940's tries to make the best of things despite of the racism he encounters.
Genre - Thought bubble, informal letter, poem, diary entry, advice.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan - What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown. This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey.
Genre - Letters, character descriptions, diaries, short playscripts, guides.
Summer
Conservation
The Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker - A boy discovers the under sea world of marine life.
Genre - Artwork description, thought bubble, diary entry, research notes, non-chronological report (in letter form).
The Last Bear by Hannah Gold - Eleven-year-old April accompanies her father to Bear Island in the Arctic for six months. There are no polar bears left on Bear Island, but one endless summer night, April meets one. Can she save him?
Genre - Character profile, figurative descriptions, dialogue, monologue, logbook entry, scientific report.
The Promise by Nicola Davies - A young girl steals an old lady's handbag but discovers acorns inside which she promises to plant around the city.
Genre -Experimentation with figurative language, report.