Speaking & Listening Intent

• Our curriculum ensures pupils develop a wide and varied vocabulary, enabling them to express themselves confidently in spoken language.
• We provide opportunities for pupils to rehearse their writing orally, refining their ideas and building fluency.
• Through purposeful discussion, pupils learn to elaborate, explain, and articulate their understanding with clarity.
• Pupils are supported to become skilled in speaking and listening, including presenting, sharing, participating, and debating.
• We foster the confidence pupils need to speak effectively in front of an audience.

Reading Intent

• Our curriculum inspires pupils to become enthusiastic and motivated readers.
• We develop pupils’ confidence in reading a wide variety of genres and text types, and provide them with the skills a ‘good reader’ needs.
• Pupils are taught the skills to decode words, enabling them to read fluently and with understanding.
• We foster a love of literature and a lifelong enjoyment of reading for pleasure.

Writing Intent

• Our curriculum develops pupils’ ability to organise and plan their written work effectively, always knowing the piece’s purpose and audience.
• Our writing curriculum enriches pupils’ cultural capital by exposing them to a wide range of texts and authors from diverse backgrounds. This approach allows pupils to develop schema, and equips them with the ability to write with empathy, perspective, and a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity.
• We ensure pupils can write clearly, accurately, and coherently, adapting their language and style to suit different contexts, purposes, and audiences.
• Pupils are taught to confidently apply the key technicalities of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Our English curriculum is built from the ground up for us:

• In our English curriculum, we equip pupils with the skills and confidence to write across a wide range of genres, from imaginative narratives to purposeful non-fiction, including non-chronological reports, biographies, discussions, recounts, and explanations.
• We encourage every pupil to develop their own creative voice, blending accuracy with originality, so their writing reflects both their individuality and growing mastery.
• Each piece of extended independent writing is a personal expression of the pupil’s skills, strategies, and knowledge, showcasing their unique perspective and understanding. Through this, our pupils develop as independent, thoughtful, and inspired writers.

How do we implement our English curriculum?

• All writing across the school begins with a focus on PAT: Purpose, Audience, and Type - to ensure children understand the why, who, and how behind their writing.
• We use a consistent planning structure called IPEELL, which supports children to organise and develop their writing effectively. This includes: Introduction, Paragraphs (or People, Place, Period in narrative), Elaborate, Ending, Links (for cohesion), and Language.
• The use of IPEELL is carefully sequenced across the school: pupils in Class 1 begin with oral rehearsal and PAT, Class 2 build towards using I, P, and E, Class 3 embed the full framework, and Class 4 gradually internalise it to support fully independent writing by the end of Year 6.
• Our genre coverage follows a well-planned Cycle A/B model, ensuring pupils revisit key writing types and build on prior knowledge year by year.
• Writing is informed by high-quality model texts, which are deconstructed with pupils to explore the structure, grammar, vocabulary, and cohesion used by skilled writers.
• Daily ‘10-minute GaP’ sessions (Grammar and Punctuation) provide pupils with explicit teaching and regular practice, which they then apply meaningfully in their extended writing.
• Spelling is taught separately, allowing dedicated focus on transcription and word-level accuracy alongside writing composition.
• Writing outcomes are purposeful and varied, giving pupils regular opportunities to apply their skills in a range of contexts and genres, and to edit their work based on feedback.
• We follow the Little Wandle phonics scheme, ensuring rapid catch-up for any pupils falling behind. Fluency forms a core part of our Reading curriculum to ensure pupils develop the ability, prosody and stamina required for modern day life.
• We dedicate time to ensuring that pupils can read for pleasure, and we utilise KS1 and KS2 Book Clubs to provide even more opportunity.
• Through precise questioning and regular assessment, teachers identify and address gaps in learning, ensuring that every pupil keeps up and thrives.
• Objectives are presented as ‘seek questions,’ fostering a proactive, investigative approach to learning that encourages curiosity and critical thinking.
• Creativity is celebrated in every genre of writing. Pupils are encouraged to explore, research, and take ownership of their learning - asking questions, uncovering answers, and expressing their understanding in their own unique way.
• We embed a wide range of technical vocabulary across Reading and Writing, building and reinforcing this knowledge year on year. Pupils are supported to use this vocabulary confidently in both their oral explanations or planning, and their writing.
• To inspire and engage pupils, our English curriculum is enriched through events such as author and poet visits, enterprise projects, and themed days like World Book Day, making English a dynamic and exciting subject for all.

 What impact does our English curriculum have?

• Through our English curriculum, pupils develop a deep and detailed knowledge of language and the skills to use it effectively. They leave us with a rich vocabulary, the ability to read fluently, and strong comprehension skills that enable them to engage with a wide range of texts.
• Pupils are confident readers who can predict, question, clarify, summarise, infer, and connect new ideas to their prior knowledge. Most importantly, they leave with a love of reading and the habit of reading for pleasure, laying the foundation for lifelong learning.
• In writing, pupils become independent and reflective. They confidently select and apply strategies such as planning, drafting, and editing to create writing that is purposeful, accurate, and engaging.
• Their transcription skills become automatic, allowing them to focus fully on writing composition and creativity.
• By the end of their time with us, pupils are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond.

	Writing Genre Overview	[pdf 158KB]
	Writing Grammar and Punctuation Overview	[pdf 172KB]
	5 Genre Link Cycle A	[pdf 155KB]
	6 Genre Link Cycle B	[pdf 155KB]