At our school, we believe that English is the foundation of learning and communication. Through high-quality teaching, rich texts and meaningful opportunities to read, write, speak and listen, we inspire children to become confident communicators, enthusiastic readers and successful writers.

Our English curriculum is carefully designed to develop a lifelong love of language and literature while ensuring that every child acquires the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they need to thrive both in school and beyond. From the very beginning of their journey in our Early Years Foundation Stage, children are immersed in a language-rich environment where communication, storytelling and vocabulary development are prioritised.

In Reception, we begin our writing journey using Literacy Counts Ready Steady Write, providing children with meaningful opportunities to explore high-quality texts, develop vocabulary and begin to understand the purpose of writing. Writing is carefully scaffolded through talk, play and shared experiences, allowing children to build confidence before becoming increasingly independent writers.

This strong foundation continues throughout the school using the Ready Steady Write programme, where carefully selected, high-quality texts inspire purposeful writing for a range of audiences and purposes. Grammar, punctuation and composition are taught progressively, enabling pupils to develop as thoughtful, creative and technically accurate writers.

We recognise that handwriting begins long before children hold a pencil. In the Early Years, there is a significant focus on developing the physical foundations needed for writing through opportunities that strengthen core stability, shoulder and arm muscles, fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. We teach this using the Squiggle whilst you Wiggle Programme.  As children's physical development progresses, they are strategically taught correct letter formation and pencil grip, leading to fluent, legible handwriting that supports their confidence and stamina as writers across the curriculum.

Spelling is taught through the Ready Steady Spell programme, which provides a structured and progressive approach to learning spelling patterns, rules and strategies. Regular retrieval practice and opportunities for application ensure that pupils become increasingly accurate and confident spellers.

Oracy is at the heart of our English curriculum. We believe that spoken language underpins success in reading, writing and learning across all subjects. From the Early Years onwards, children are encouraged to develop their vocabulary, articulate their ideas, ask thoughtful questions and engage in meaningful discussion. Through storytelling, drama, partner talk, oral rehearsal and high-quality classroom dialogue, pupils develop confidence in expressing themselves while learning to listen respectfully and respond thoughtfully to others.

Reading is central to everything we do. We strive to foster a genuine love of reading by exposing children to a rich and diverse range of high-quality texts. Alongside the explicit teaching of reading skills using Ready Steady Read, our carefully planned Reading Spine ensures that every child experiences a wide variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry throughout their time at school. Daily opportunities to hear stories, discuss texts and recommend books encourage reading for pleasure and help children develop empathy, curiosity and a lifelong enjoyment of literature.

Vocabulary development is woven throughout our curriculum. By explicitly teaching ambitious vocabulary from the texts we study and across the wider curriculum, we enable children to communicate with increasing precision and confidence in both their spoken and written language.

Our English curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully sequenced to ensure that every child can succeed. Through high expectations, carefully chosen texts and evidence-informed approaches, we nurture resilient learners who enjoy reading, write with purpose and communicate effectively.

By the time our children leave our school, they will be fluent readers, confident writers and articulate speakers who have developed a genuine love of reading and an appreciation of the power of language. They will be equipped with the literacy skills, creativity and confidence needed to flourish in the next stage of their education and throughout their lives.