Hamilton

Introduction to English Plans

New Framework Literacy Unit plans for the single year groups (Y1 to Y6) and the Mixed Age Range Units for R/Y1, Y1/2, Y3/4 and Y5/6 for Years A & B are available (a two-year rolling programme). Each NF Unit includes individual book and website lists and an overview. In each term there is also an Overview of the whole year's Units to help with long term planning. Some new FREE Foundation plans for Spring & Summer Terms written by Ruth Merttens are available from Ginn/Heinemann. Click here to find out more.

We strive to include the best of inspirational teaching, particularly in relation to imaginative and descriptive work. We pride ourselves on avoiding any boring tasks whilst preserving an excellent coverage of the objectives. This is achieved largely through the careful selection of both texts and topics as well as the use of the most imaginatively constructed pupil resources. A specific feature of the plans is the use of Animated Facts and Animated Tales – interactive computer-based teacher-resources which provide a vehicle for the delivery of a sustained piece of non-fiction or fiction focused teaching.  The feedback we have received has been very encouraging.

Here are some recent comments about the Units:

'I tried out your new format of Literacy plans on the subject of Fairy tales. It was wonderful, and helped me so much with my planning. When can we have more?! Thanks so much!'

'It looks good and the resources are excellent!'

'Angels!!!!!!!!!!'

'They really seem to adhere to the new teaching sequence for writing - just the thing OFSTED will be looking for during the next couple of years.'

Hamilton Trust also provides old Weekly Plans for English (found by clicking on the Plan Archive tab). They are matched closely to the NLS but also incorporate a measure of oral work (speaking and listening) derived from the National Curriculum in English. This includes discussion, debate, role-play and dramatic activity, all incorporated within an NLS, objective-led structure.  These are ideal to fill in an odd week at the end of term!

The English Plans section of the site contains:

1. Mix 'n' Match Plans – A carefully designed system of delivering quality adaptable plans whilst enabling teachers to make choices which allow them to exercise both professional judgment and personal taste. For each term there are up to 10 Units (of which two default Units are available free to non Friends of Hamilton) from which the appropriate number may be selected. Also up to 24 Weekly Plans are available in the Plan Archive. Each plan is given a title indicating the main focus (narrative/fiction, non-fiction and/or poetry) and the topics or texts used. It also has a description outlining the main areas of the English curriculum covered, and an outline which identifies the themes (shared reading, descriptive writing, instructions, etc.). From this information, or by downloading and viewing the actual plan itself, teachers make a selection of plans for the term. The New Framework Unit English plans include individual book and website lists and an overview. Book lists for both the New Framework Units and the old Weekly Plans are also available for each term.

2. Both adaptable and ready-to-use resources for pupils – These accompany each plan and provide an imaginative raft of writing frameworks, contexts and subject content. They are listed beside the relevant plan for you to click on and download. Not only are these specifically designed to make the activities in the plans work well, they also save hours of precious teacher time – unless, that is, you enjoy drawing cartoon strips, or looking up words all beginning with a certain prefix!

3. Oral stories, poems and rhymes – Often specially written and chosen to add a level of work guaranteed to teach and stimulate the higher level writing skills.

4. Animated Tales – Exciting on-screen picture books with in-built vocabulary activities and topic links. The Animated Tales are freely downloadable (without sound) and a few may be purchased at cost (with sound) for ease of use.

5. Animated Facts – A set of on-screen non-fiction resources designed to provide all the stimulation and information necessary to teach a specific non-fiction topic (e.g. persuasive writing). These save hours of time researching a topic, and they also provide interactive screens and a wealth of pupil activity.

6. Teacher Resources – Specially written materials designed to enable the teaching of a particular topic. For example, we may provide a playscript, a set of diary entries or a piece of ‘formal official English’, to enable the teacher to identify the features of this type of writing.

7. Phonics – Reception, Y1 and Y2 plans reference Code-Breakers, a structured programme of short daily sessions. Uniquely, Code-Breakers was designed with teachers for teachers, and incorporates an element of role-play and writing for a purpose. This adds to the motivational impact, especially with the younger children. 

8.Spelling Bank - An interactive resource, based on Code-Breakers, enabling you to generate your own sound-led spelling lists. It consists of just over 50 phonemes (sounds) and their corresponding graphemes (letters or letter-combinations). You can listen to each sound!

9. Homework - There are 12 activities for English for each term, Year 1 to Year 6. Download the Contents for each year first so you can see what's what! Every activity has a note to parents and we also provide an introduction for teachers, a letter to parents to go home at the start of term and a leaflet.

10. ICT Support - Guidance on the use of the ICT programs that are suggested in some of the Units is available as a separate 'Plan' in each term. The support documents are linked to the plan as 'Resources'.

11. Year Overview - In each term of each Year an Overview lists all the Units provided to enable users to plan the year's teaching.

Good news! We have arranged a deal with KBC (Kent Book Company) for Hamilton users to get a 20% off RRP on all books required for our Literacy Units. We have no commercial arrangement with KBC but we hope this will be an alternative and useful way for you to obtain the necessary texts for our Literacy Units. Click on http://www.kbc.eu.com/document.asp?id=/hamilton.html to find out more!