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English

           

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” Maya Angelou, American Memoirist

English Curriculum at Peel Common Primary School

Intent

Our English curriculum is designed to give every pupil the knowledge, skills, and cultural capital they need to communicate confidently, think critically, and develop a lifelong love of reading and writing. Drawing on the principles outlined in Ofsted’s Stronger Foundations guidance and the DfE Reading and Writing Framework, our intent is built around several core aims:

  1. Secure foundational knowledge: Pupils develop strong phonics knowledge, vocabulary breadth, and grammatical understanding that allow them to access increasingly complex texts.
  1. A coherent, cumulative curriculum: Learning is carefully sequenced so that new knowledge builds on prior learning, ensuring pupils know more and remember more over time.
  1. Reading at the heart of the curriculum: High‑quality literature forms the backbone of our English offer, exposing pupils to diverse voices, rich language, and ambitious ideas.
  1. Writing for purpose and audience: Pupils learn to craft writing that is accurate, engaging, and purposeful, drawing on a secure understanding of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and text structure.
  2. Equity and inclusion: All pupils, including those with SEND or who are disadvantaged, receive the support they need to access the full curriculum and achieve well.
  3. Oracy as a foundation for literacy: Spoken language is developed deliberately and systematically to strengthen comprehension, reasoning, and written expression.

Our intent is to nurture confident, articulate learners who can read widely, write effectively, and communicate with clarity in school and beyond.

 

Implementation

Our curriculum is delivered through high‑quality teaching, consistent routines, and evidence‑informed practice. The following principles guide our approach:

Reading

  1. Systematic phonics is taught with fidelity our chosen scheme FFT Success for all phonics, ensuring early reading success.
  2. Daily reading opportunities include whole‑class reading, independent reading, and shared reading of ambitious texts.
  3. Explicit vocabulary instruction supports comprehension and language development.
  4. Targeted intervention supports pupils who need additional help to keep up. This is also addressed through adapted quality first teaching.

Writing

  1. Modelled, shared, and guided writing help pupils understand the writing process from planning to editing.
  2. Grammar and punctuation are taught explicitly and applied meaningfully within writing units.
  3. Spelling instruction follows a clear progression, aligned with the DfE framework. (FFT- Jungle Club)
  4. Purposeful writing outcomes give pupils authentic reasons to write—informing, persuading, entertaining, and explaining.

Oracy

  1. Structured talk routines, debate, drama, and presentation opportunities strengthen pupils’ spoken language and deepen understanding.

Curriculum Design

  1. Units are sequenced to resist and deepen key knowledge.
  2. Teachers use assessment to identify gaps and adapt teaching responsibly.
  3. High‑quality texts anchor each unit, ensuring coherence and richness.

 

Impact

We measure the success of our English curriculum through a combination of outcomes, behaviours, and long‑term development:

  1. Pupils read with fluency, accuracy, and understanding, enabling them to access the full curriculum.
  2. Pupils write with increasing accuracy and sophistication, demonstrating secure control of grammar, vocabulary, and structure.
  3. Pupils speak confidently and listen actively, using language to reason, explain, and collaborate.
  4. Assessment shows strong progress from starting points, with pupils knowing more and remembering more over time.
  5. Gaps narrow for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, ensuring equity of achievement.
  6. Pupils develop positive attitudes toward reading and writing, choosing to read widely and taking pride in their written work.

 

Ultimately, the impact of our curriculum is seen in pupils who are articulate, literate, and prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school.

 

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." C.S Lewis, British Writer and lay theologian

 

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