English

Intent

Our English curriculum provides opportunities for children to learn, and apply, their skills across different
curriculum areas – using cross-curricular activities wherever possible. At Coatham CE Primary School, we
want our children to aspire and achieve in life through creating opportunities for them in the wider world –
as a result, importance is given to good Standard English. Through the English curriculum, we aim to,
wherever possible, to make our writing purposeful and to foster each and every child’s love of reading. So
that our children, “learn not for school, but for life”.

Implementation

SENDco and SLT monitor, support and challenge the inclusion and success for all groups and individuals
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of
background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can
possibly be. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately within the year as mapped out by the NC statements in our Assessment grids. Writing is taught for at least an hour each day– there is a focus on applying specific year group skills into different genres of writing. An emphasis is given to cross-curricular writing – encouraging children ‘transfer’ their writing skills. Cross -curricular planning for writing is completed on a half-termly basis. Reading/guided reading/phonics is taught for at least half an hour daily in each year group. Phonics is taught in school from N – Y2 in the first instance and then continued for identified children throughout KS2. Work is planned through rigorous focus on AfL and Next Steps in planning; work is therefore planned and implemented to the needs of the children in long, medium, and short-term. Support is determined prior to each lesson (through AfL) to ensure secure understanding based on the needs of the child. Challenge is visible throughout the whole session, where children are asked to reason and prove their understanding at a deeper secure level. Concepts are constantly checked and reinforced. Assessment of Reading and Writing is completed in Assessment Week during each half term using ‘bespoke’ school criteria to show consistency in levelling/progression. The Subject Leader monitors, supports, challenges and assesses through one day of Leadership time per term.

Impact

By the end of KS2 we aim for children to be ‘fluent’ in the fundamentals of reading and writing with a deep
level of understanding and the ability to transfer and apply skills appropriately and accurately. They will
have the skills – and confidence – to apply themselves in a range of situations (including writing and
speaking and listening). Children will be able to reason using the language of debate by following a line of
enquiry and developing and presenting a justification, argument or proof. Our children will speak – and
write – using a good level of Standard English. The vast majority of children will be working at age expected by the end of each Phase – with a good percentage of children working at a higher level.