English

Curriculum Planning

Our English curriculum is carefully sequenced to build knowledge and skills progressively across reading, writing, speaking & listening, and phonics:

• Reading: We use Jane Considine’s Book Talk approach to promote a love of reading and develop comprehension skills. Texts are carefully chosen to build vocabulary and understanding, with planned opportunities for pupils to revisit and deepen their knowledge.
• Writing: The Write Stuff by Jane Considine guides our writing curriculum, breaking down writing into manageable, teachable components. Writing skills are developed systematically, with clear progression in grammar, punctuation, and composition.
• Speaking & Listening: Our bespoke Oracy project ensures pupils develop a rich vocabulary and effective communication skills. Teachers use a consistent vocabulary framework shared with parents to reinforce learning and ensure clarity in language development.
• Phonics: We teach systematic synthetic phonics through the Monster Phonics programme. Monster Phonics gives our pupils a clear, structured route into reading and spelling from Nursery and Reception onwards, with carefully planned progression so pupils learn letter–sound correspondences, blending and segmenting in small, regular lessons.
• Handwriting: Staff model handwriting consistently, supporting pupils to develop fluent, legible writing styles.

Teaching Approach

Our teaching approach balances explicit instruction with opportunities for practice and application:

• Teachers provide clear modelling and explanation, breaking down complex skills into manageable steps.
• Reading lessons include shared, guided, and independent reading, with emphasis on vocabulary development and comprehension strategies.
• Writing lessons use The Write Stuff to scaffold writing processes and develop pupils’ confidence and creativity.
• Oracy is embedded across the curriculum, with planned activities to practise speaking and listening skills in varied contexts.
• Phonics teaching is systematic and multisensory, ensuring pupils master sounds and spelling patterns before progressing.
• Ongoing assessment informs teaching adaptations, ensuring all pupils, including those with SEND, receive targeted support.

Building a Love for English

We foster enthusiasm and confidence in English through:

• Engaging texts and topics that inspire curiosity and discussion.
• Celebrations of reading achievements and writing successes to motivate pupils.
• Encouraging pupils to share their ideas and stories, building pride in their communication skills.
• Partnering with parents through sharing vocabulary and language goals, reinforcing learning at home.

Assessment in English

Assessment is integral to supporting progress and informing teaching:

• Formative Assessment: Teachers use questioning, observations, and regular writing and reading tasks to monitor understanding and provide immediate feedback.
• Summative Assessment: Termly assessments track progress in reading, writing, speaking & listening, and phonics, identifying areas for intervention and extension.
• Assessment data guides personalised learning plans, ensuring all pupils develop secure literacy skills and confidence.
• We regularly review phonics screening outcomes and reading fluency to ensure early and effective support.

The progression maps below show how our Monster Phonics programme builds reading and spelling skills step-by-step from Nursery and Reception onwards, with clear learning goals at each stage. The linked document also explains the assessment points we use so you can see when pupils are checked on their phonics knowledge, what success looks like at each checkpoint, and how we use the results to plan extra practice or targeted support.

progression-maps-reception-1.pdf

progression-maps-Year-1-3.pdf

progression-maps-Year-2-v2-2.pdf