Intent 

At Westerhope Primary School, our English curriculum aims to cultivate high standards of language and literacy, supporting children to develop proficiency in both spoken and written communication whilst fostering a passion for literature through reading for pleasure and exposure to high-quality texts.  

Central to our curriculum is the integration of literature and language, enabling every child to develop their language skills effectively for diverse communication purposes and contexts. We are committed to nurturing confident and competent readers, recognising the pivotal role of fluent reading across all subjects. Our curriculum is designed to inspire a love for literature at every stage, emphasising the importance of vocabulary development. 

Implementation 

Our English curriculum follows the National Curriculum, covering key areas such as reading, phonics, writing, spoken language, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. Phonics instruction follows the Supersonic Phonics Friends programme. Children in EYFS and KS1 participate in daily sessions and have access to a range of books where they can apply their reading skills. 

As children progress in phonics proficiency, they transition to a wider range of texts and engage with the Lexia programme to further their reading development. Reading forms the cornerstone of our English provision, guided by our value that "Books build brains." Our approach includes a blend of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry texts, supporting both reading and writing planning. Whole-class guided reading sessions also support the development of background knowledge for a wide range of curriculum subjects. 

Writing instruction is scaffolded through modeling, planning, and rehearsal. Opportunities for sustained independent writing are provided, allowing time for editing and improvement based on feedback. Different genres and text-types are revisited throughout the year, ensuring children have time to build on what they have learned.  

Daily sessions dedicated to spelling, punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary are integrated into English lessons, alongside discrete handwriting sessions. Regular monitoring and review processes ensure that our English curriculum remains robust, responsive, and conducive to fostering language proficiency and a lifelong love of literature.