English
We believe that literacy opens doors. It enables children to communicate effectively, access the wider curriculum, express their ideas and emotions, and develop as lifelong learners, supporting them to 'Aim for their Highest'. Every aspect of our English curriculum is carefully planned to ensure children develop the skills they need to become confident communicators, enthusiastic readers and successful writers.
Our English curriculum is built upon a simple principle:
Language is the foundation of literacy.
Children learn first to listen, then to speak, before they develop the skills needed to read and write successfully. For this reason, communication and language are prioritised from the very beginning of a child's journey with us.
Our English Curriculum
Our English curriculum consists of five interconnected strands:
Spoken Language
We know that children cannot write a sentence they cannot say.
From Nursery onwards, we prioritise the development of communication and language through rich conversations, storytelling, vocabulary development and opportunities for discussion. In our Early Years provision, we use the ShREC approach to develop children's speaking, listening and language skills, providing the foundations for future success in reading and writing.
As children move through the school, they continue to develop their ability to communicate, explain, debate, discuss and present their ideas confidently.
Phonics
Children begin their reading and writing journey through Read Write Inc. (RWI), our systematic synthetic phonics programme.
Phonics teaches children to recognise sounds, blend sounds for reading and segment sounds for spelling. This provides the essential foundations for becoming successful readers and writers.
Reading
Reading is a priority throughout our school. We know that reading is one of the strongest indicators of future academic success and opens up a world of knowledge, imagination and opportunity.
Children progress from reading phonically matched books through Read Write Inc. to whole-class reading lessons and the Accelerated Reader programme. We strive to develop fluent, confident readers who read widely and for pleasure.
Spelling
Spelling is taught systematically across the school and builds upon children's phonics knowledge.
As children progress through the school, they learn spelling patterns, rules and exceptions that enable them to write with increasing accuracy and confidence.
From Year 2 onwards, we use Spelling Shed to support the teaching and learning of spelling. Spelling Shed combines a structured, research-informed approach to spelling with engaging online activities that allow children to practise and apply their learning both in school and at home.
Spelling Shed helps children to develop their understanding of spelling patterns, rules and common exception words whilst building confidence and accuracy in their writing.
Writing
Writing begins with strong foundations. From developing core strength and mark making in the Early Years to composing sophisticated texts in Key Stage 2, our curriculum is carefully sequenced to build children's confidence and success as writers.
We place a strong emphasis on oral rehearsal, sentence construction, handwriting and spelling before expecting children to produce extended pieces of writing. This ensures that children develop the knowledge and skills needed to write effectively.