Quality Text Rationale

In Year 3 the children start with Hodgeheg by Dick King Smith. We have chosen this as this links in with many of the school values including: determination, resilience, appreciation. Children are immediately engaged due to animals being the main characters within the book. Furthermore, we have found that many children are highly motivated to go out and read other Dick King Smith books. He is a fantastic author for Year 3s to enjoy and develop their reading skills.

Following on from this, Year 3 pupils move on to Roald Dahl in both story and play form. The play allows for a whole range of acting and drama opportunities whilst the story promotes one of the key authors we want children to read before they leave school. Vocabulary and emotions are key themes that are discussed within the stories and children learn how to engage the audience within their own writing. Furthermore, one of our lines on the the innovative Reading Express is indeed the Dahl line, so straight away the children have a plethora of high quality texts to move onto when they have finished George’s Marvellous Medicine and James and The Giant Peach.

Following on from this, Year 3 pupils move on to Roald Dahl in both story and play form. The play allows for a whole range of acting and drama opportunities whilst the story promotes one of the key authors we want children to read before they leave school. Vocabulary and emotions are key themes that are discussed within the stories and children learn how to engage the audience within their own writing. Furthermore, one of our lines on the the innovative Reading Express is indeed the Dahl line, so straight away the children have a plethora of high quality texts to move onto when they have finished George’s Marvellous Medicine and James and The Giant Peach.

We also study the Velveteen Rabbit as this picture book contains many powerful themes about love, isolation, how to overcome difficulties and allows children to develop the key skill of empathy within their reading.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is the first poem taught at Churchfields Junior School and ensures the children remained engaged and motivated to write right up until Christmas. The poem and the vast number of performances allow children to understand the intonation, tone and action and allow them to perform poetry aloud themselves. By discussing the author’s use of language and rhyme, the children will learn how effective poetry can be constructed.

The Jabberwocky is the second poem taught at Churchfields Junior School. We have chosen this nonsense poem as its purpose is fun and delight that we want children to feel for poetry. It allows the children’s imagination to run wild and to delve into the fantasy world of good vs evil- a timeless classic. Finally, it introduces them to the delights of Lewis Carroll and we find many children go onto read Alice in Wonderland as well as other classics.

After these books we move onto the Iron Man. This has been chosen as it is a more complex book than Dahl and Dick King Smith and is more serious and in many respects more masculine in its written style. It is important for children to analyse and compare different written styles and Ted Hughes is another high quality author that we believe children need to be aware of before they leave Primary School. Furthermore the themes discussed in the book help the children develop their empathy skills as well as learning the important mantra to never judge a book by its cover.

The Giant’s Necklace by Michael Morpurgo has been chosen as Morpurgo is a fantastic author for children to enjoy and become engaged with. This short story explores themes of loss, bravery and curiosity and the impact these can have upon a young girl. We felt it was important to have a strong and inspirational female main character and for children to learn that females can be empowered and deserve equal opportunities based on their own merits.

Fox is written by Margaret Wild and shows appreciation for female authors in an otherwise heavily male populated year group of authors. The book due to the beautiful illustrations and complex themes around jealousy and envy as well as a deep friendship provoke different thought processes from previous books.

Finally, The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe is an important introduction to fantasy and engages all children. It is a challenge and a more complex book again compared to every other book studied in Year 3. By this time, we feel the children are ready to be even more challenged and introduced to the fantasy genre, as many writers that we would like children to read are within this genre. It further explores themes of good vs. evil, betrayal and forgiveness, courage, transformation, the natural world, and magic and features a strong female protagonist in Lucy.

To promote a love of non-fiction books as well, the children learn about the Yanomami tribe through the Vanishing Rainforest. This book not only ties in with the topic of the rainforest but describes through the imagery and text the devastating effects of deforestation which is so important in the modern world. It represents what life is like in a different culture and allows children an in-depth look at life for people not reliant on technology. It is a good book to engage children straight after the summer holiday. Furthermore the link with the geography topic reduces the children’s working memory and enables a greater focus on the inferential and evaluative aspect of reading.

Tudor Rose has been chosen as we don’t study the Tudors at all in our chronology of history and we felt it was important for the children to have a basic understanding and grasp of this important period in British history as well as looking at historical language from that period. Furthermore Shakespeare follows this book so it is a perfect introduction to the period and times around when Shakespeare was writing and the social and political issues as that were in play at the time. It features a strong female protagonist who struggles with dyslexia yet she shows resilience and determination to not let this define her and to solve a mystery.

Dahl is hugely popular with the Year 3 and 4 children and we wish to maintain their love of this author through the study of the play version of Fantastic Mr Fox. This story leads to wonderful philosophical discussions such as ‘Is it ever okay to steal?’ and a thought that perhaps the evil farmers are reacting the way they are due to the constant theft of their livelihoods. The ideals of family, trust, the conscience of good and evil, and perseverance are within the story throughout and allow the children to delve into their own morals and learn to justify their viewpoints.

While learning about Ancient Rome, pupils read The Secrets of Vesuvius. It engages the children with the genre of historical fiction which the children who prefer Non-Fiction really seem to engage with. Furthermore the aspect of Detective and Mystery draws the children into the world of Ancient Rome. Lawrence manages to effortlessly develop her characters, particularly Flavia and her three friends, and she achieves this in such a subtle way whilst developing the themes of friendship, loyalty and respect.

The Wolves of Currumpaw by William Grill explores life from the point of view of a wolf pack in the Americas looking at life in a different culture at a different point in history. It is a non-fiction book which explores themes all around pride, collaboration, ambition and regret with powerful pictures to support the high quality text. We feel it is important for children to be introduced to different cultures as well as being given the chance to engage with high quality non-fiction texts outside of our topic and science lessons. Furthermore it encourages discussion about the environment and how man and nature can be in conflict yet need to find a way to survive and flourish together.

After Wolves of Currampaw the children study Guard Wolf in Siberia and Winter’s Wolf which are both poems by Wes Magee. Wes Magee is an award-winning author for children and for adults and his poems really complements the previous work completed by the children. The poems help children develop the skill of repetition and introduce children to metaphors.

Finally, we thought it very important for children to become engaged with and develop a love of Shakespeare early on as in our view a love of Shakespeare is a love of language which is an incredibly important facet of our English curriculum. That is why they study Midsummer’s Night Dream as it is a light hearted comedy as opposed to a heavy tragedy. The children study the story form of Shakespeare at this age as well as extracts from the play. Dark fantasies and nightmarish visions unfold in this bold take on Shakespeare’s unparalleled tale of love, betrayal and desire and this story really inspires them to read more Shakespeare plays which are all present in the school library in story form.

Dorothea Mackellar’s ‘My Country’ is a poem expressing Mackellar’s deep passion and love for her country, Australia. It allows the children to appreciate a poem from a different culture. The whole poem’s intention seems to evoke the sense of praising for the country and express Mackellar’s deep love for the country. It encourages the children to think deeply about what they love and appreciate and to demonstrate the same passion that Mackellar shows.

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan is a poem from a different culture which allows the children a glimpse of how this culture is different yet similar to their own and allows children within the class a chance to share their own experiences and similarities to the author of this poem of growing up in Britain but having family originally from a different country.

Year 5 build on the literature read in Year 4 by returning to Eva Ibbotson with her book One Boy and His Dog. Themes of loyalty, fairness and justice are prevalent throughout and we feel it is important for the Year 5 children to learn these at the start of the Year 5. It also explores the themes around families and how to overcome difficulties. It is a great book to start Year 5 with as it engages them straight away due to their previous enjoyment and knowledge of Eva Ibbotson and her writing.

Beowulf, which is a key text in Anglo-Saxon English Literature, and Anglo Saxon Boy delve into the historical period in a lot more detail; these link to the topic that the children are studying providing them with a rich background of knowledge needed to excel in both reading and writing. It further helps bring the topic to life and children are engaged with these books. Furthermore, Beowulf allows children to revisit Morpurgo in a more challenging book than the short story of ‘The Giant’s Necklace’ which they study in Year 3. These books develop the themes of bravery, intrigue, betrayal and loyalty.

Beowulf, which is a key text in Anglo-Saxon English Literature, and Anglo Saxon Boy delve into the historical period in a lot more detail; these link to the topic that the children are studying providing them with a rich background of knowledge needed to excel in both reading and writing. It further helps bring the topic to life and children are engaged with these books. Furthermore, Beowulf allows children to revisit Morpurgo in a more challenging book than the short story of ‘The Giant’s Necklace’ which they study in Year 3. These books develop the themes of bravery, intrigue, betrayal and loyalty.

The Christmas Carol challenges children and allows them a taste of another classic author in Dickens. We have a Dickens line on our Reading Express and want the children to have the opportunity to read the children’s penguin editions of this important author in British history. These books also allow the children to learn about the Victorian period- another hugely important period in the development of the British state, democracy and British values that are now ingrained within our society. It also allows children to reflect on what is really important and how there is always the chance to learn from past mistakes and change their lives. Once again the themes of wealth, family and happiness are discussed.

Skellig is the next book that is chosen due to the real life issues that are discussed within the book. It highlights problems that people can have in daily life and shows the variations in language across the country. It explores the ideas of a regular person being a hero and the importance of family and relationships with children. This idea of exploring ‘real life issues’ is a very important theme for children to understand and empathise with and builds on the themes previously covered throughout the other years and the beginning of Year 5. The writing style is very different from previous books with lots of short sentences and we see how important love and friendship are to all characters.

The Highwayman is an important poem set in a different era of history that we want children to understand. The idea of a narrative being explored through figurative language and a narrative within poetry builds the children’s awareness that poetry doesn’t have to all rhyme and be short. Moreover, both this book and the above explore symbolism and the impact this can have on the reader with many examples of figurative language.

Holes has been chosen as Louis Sachar is a very influential children’s author who we want children to have the opportunity to read. It builds further on the previous themes of family, loneliness, being resolute, determination, friendship and the importance of having a goal in life. It shows life in a different culture to Britain, being set in America which is important for children to get a sense of the similarities and differences between their own life and that of others their age throughout different parts of the world.

The London Eye Mystery appeals to the children who feel an affinity with the city of London. Furthermore, it allows children a chance to explore the detective and mystery line on the reading Express. It is a lot bigger book in terms of quantity which allows the teachers to focus on improving the children’s reading stamina and speed. From the book, we learn how to empathise with people as well as develop a greater understanding of autism.

The Arrival through beautiful illustrations allows children to understand what life as an immigrant and a refugee is like and is extremely current and relevant to today’s society with the crisis happening in Syria and Libya. The book also promotes inference and the ability to justify our opinions as there are no words.

In Varjak Paw, the ideas behind remembering the past and respecting the elders is an important theme for the children to understand and is a high quality text that builds on the children’s previous learning through the themes of family strife and betrayal. It further deals with themes such as isolation, friendship and a determination to succeed no matter the perils and challenges that stand in the way.

The last book we study and introduced in 2022 is Nevermoor: The trials of Morrigan Crow.  This is a contemporary book in a series of very well written books that we would like the children to read and helps develop their love of fantasy in a style similar to the hugely popular Harry Potter. Due to the length of the book it promotes independence and again helps build their reading stamina which is vital. Furthermore, the book features a female protagonist who has to overcome many difficulties and trials. At the start she is isolated, alone, shunned by society, yet as the story progresses we see how with support, love and friendship, one can overcome any problems and trials that are put in their way.

Great City written by Harold Monro appeals to the children as they can relate to the poem living so close to London. The poem doesn’t rhyme so it allows children an understanding and appreciation of a different type of poetry. Furthermore, it teaches the children how to develop atmosphere in their own poetry and writing. Finally, we teach the children how to develop images and impressions rather than action which is taught often in other forms of writing.

Year 6 start the year by reading a classic novel set around the topic of WW2 which is the Silver Sword. This book builds on all the previous year’s learning and highlights the plight that people faced in WW2 from across Europe. With the main characters being children and being led by a strong, fearless young lady, it really highlights the characteristics we want our young children and in particular girls to aspire to. We want them to recognise themselves as being determined, brave, show resilience, caring and taking a key role in modern society. The book really engages the children as they can relate to the characters if not the situation and builds their skills of empathy and understanding of a hugely important yet dreadful experience in Modern European history.

Rose Blanche is a beautifully illustrated picture book that shows the sheer horror of life in Nazi Germany for Jewish people as well as what life was like for ordinary Germans. By Year 6 we feel children are old enough to understand these themes and have an understanding of what was happening and how these go against the fundamental British values of freedom and tolerance that we in this country. Furthermore, Rose, demonstrates such bravery, fearlessness and sense of justice and compassion that resonates powerfully with the children of Year 6.

Goodnight Mister Tom is an incredibly powerful and emotive book that again allows the children to develop their skills of empathy and appreciation for the life they have as they can really relate to the main character and what he has been through due to the war. It introduces a wider range of vocabulary and really encourages the children to think more deeply and build on their inference skills throughout the novel. Due to their background understanding of the time period it really allows them to appreciate the complexities and subtleties of the book and being set in the north of England allows an appreciation of regional dialects.  Furthermore, by having these three books consecutively based around various aspects of the war

See Through My Eyes by Karl Nova is a spoken word poem which allows us to understand how different people see the world. It is an expression of our individuality and how we are all difference. Yet it also highlights why it is important to celebrate diversity and difference within society. It is the first time the children will have studied hip-hop poetry and the contemporary themes and messages are very important for children to take with them to Secondary School.

Coraline has been chosen as Neil Gaiman is another author we want children to have the opportunity to read and enjoy and his style of writing horror/ adventure books are different to any other genre that children have previously read. Again we felt it was important to have a strong female character as the focal point and many children by this age can relate to the feeling of isolation within their own home so we feel it is an important theme for children to discuss for their own well-being and Mental Health. Coraline has many difficult decisions to make and this promotes discussion within the classroom as to how Coraline should act and whether you would make the same choices as Coraline.

The Rabbits- like the The Arrival in Year 5 -shows the impact that colonialism can have on a native population and allows children an understanding of what life was like for many indigenous people’s across the world. Again this is under ever more scrutiny in the press and it provides children with the basis to understand events that are happening on the news such as the banning of tourists climbing Uluru in Australia.  The illustrations that support the book allow inferences to be made and justifications to be practiced in supporting various viewpoints.

Shackleton’s Journey allows the children another chance to study an incredibly high quality non-fiction text. The factual, formal writing style as well as incredibly provocative and thought- provoking illustrations really engage the children and often produce the best examples of writing and indeed improve their reading skills dramatically. By giving every child a character on the ship it brings this book to life and engages children. Furthermore, we have arranged an author visit from William Grill which will further inspire the children to explore non-fiction books and improve their own general knowledge. It also gives the children a further understanding of the period after the Victorians and at the start of WW1 about what life was like in Britain and why ‘The age of explorers’ was an important period within British history. It demonstrates the importance of friendship, resilience, determination and indeed really encompasses all the Learning Values we have at Churchfields.

Tales of Outer Suburbia represent a number of short stories that really help children infer, predict and make connections and justify their own opinions which tie back to the milestones that we want children to reach in reading by the end of Year 6. This idea of being able to justify their own opinions about what they think is happening in the stories and creating backstories is a key skill in helping children develops their own imagination and creativity- key facets of the Year 6 curriculum.

The Raven is a high quality poem that allows children to engage with a world renowned poet such as Edgar Allen Poe. The imagery and gothic themes that this poem explores and conjures is something very different to what the children have studied before and gives them a route both into poetry and also the horror and gothic genre.

Oliver Twist builds on the work done in the Christmas Carol and really gives children a more in-depth sense of what life was like as an orphan in Victorian Britain. The language used within the book really helps the children develop and expand their vocabulary and is a hugely challenging text that requires the children to constantly work out the meaning of words in context. Furthermore, this version builds on A Christmas Carol that is studied in Year 5 in its complexities and the themes discussed within Oliver are complex yet relatable to the children in Year 6. The feeling of being alone, relying on others whilst trying to make their own way in the world.

Finally we revisit Shakespeare in Year 6 and now look at the original play format with a modern English translation at the side. This builds on their initial knowledge from Year 4 but develops in a lot more detail. By introducing them to Macbeth we also see a different genre of Shakespeare to the light-heartedness of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. By the end of Year 6 they are able to appreciate the complex themes and to understand the idea of ambition and in particular Lady Macbeth’s character in a lot more detail. By finishing with this text, we have prepared children comprehensively for secondary school and by starting with Dick King Smith and Dahl in Year 3 and finishing with the most complex texts of Dickens and Shakespeare we have embedded extremely influential authors within Britain into our curriculum.