Reading
Our reading curriculum is designed around texts that gradually increase complexity, challenging and supporting students as they grow. This progression enhances reading skills and fosters a lifelong love of literature. By moving from more straightforward picture books in the early years to more intricate narratives in upper primary, students develop the comprehension, analytical, and inferential skills essential for successful reading.
In the Nursery and Reception years, children engage with core texts like Owl Babies and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which use simple language and engaging stories to build a foundation in storytelling, language patterns, and reading enjoyment. Secondary texts like Nursery Rhymes and Dear Zoo reinforce rhythm, repetition, and interactive elements, supporting early phonemic awareness and comprehension.
In Key Stage 1, texts such as Hansel & Gretel and The Tale of Peter Rabbit introduce advanced vocabulary, varied sentence structures, and richer narratives, enhancing decoding skills and comprehension. Secondary texts like George's Marvellous Medicine and The Cat in the Hat add humour and imagination to sustain enthusiasm for reading.
Key Stage 2 introduces complex texts like The Iron Man and Beowulf, exposing students to myths, legends, and historical contexts. This progression continues with texts like Private Peaceful and Homer's Iliad & Odyssey, exploring deeper themes of conflict, heroism, and moral dilemmas to enhance comprehension and critical thinking.
By Years 5 and 6, students engage with sophisticated texts such as Macbeth, Animal Farm, and The Giver, which introduce power, ethics, and social commentary themes. Secondary texts like Wonder and Once encourage empathy and broaden students' understanding of the world.
Overall, our reading curriculum provides a structured pathway that deepens engagement with the text, ensuring students develop strong literacy skills and a passion for literature. We aim to create well-rounded readers with a critical awareness of the world by exposing students to varied genres, themes, and authors.
Writing
Our English curriculum is designed to help students master various writing skills, encouraging effective communication across different text types and purposes. By nurturing imaginative writers, we aim to ensure students can express themselves creatively, formally, and persuasively. Narrative writing forms the core of our curriculum, progressively building storytelling skills from Year 1 to Year 6. In Year 1, students begin with simple tales like 'Rags to Riches' and 'Peter Rabbit.' By Year 2 and beyond, students explore more complex narratives, including myths, suspense, and journey tales, gradually enhancing their abilities to create vivid characters, settings, and engaging plots.
Beyond narratives, students develop skills to inform, persuade, and discuss. Starting in Year 1 with letters and reports, they expand to include explanation texts, persuasive speeches, biographies, and balanced arguments. Compelling writing is emphasised from Year 4 onwards, culminating in Year 6, where students articulate balanced viewpoints and construct reasoned arguments.
Poetry is taught at all year levels, encouraging creativity and language experimentation. It balances more structured writing, fostering students' expressive use of language and enhancing their descriptive abilities.
Our spiral curriculum revisits different writing genres across the years, reinforcing understanding and building fluency. Genres like persuasive letters and reports are explored multiple times, giving students confidence in their writing ability.
Writing opportunities are embedded across subjects to show the relevance of communication in different contexts. For example, explanation texts are tied to science, and persuasive writing links to social studies, making writing more meaningful and practical.
By Year 6, students are prepared to write complex narratives, present arguments, consider multiple viewpoints, and express creativity through poetry. This broad approach ensures students are confident communicators, ready for further education and life beyond school.