Intent 

At Woodlands Primary School we believe that literacy and oracy are essential life skills. We aim to develop children who are confident speakers, listeners, readers and writers who can utilise their skills to communicate effectively. We do this by placing English at the heart of our curriculum. We recognise that when the fundamental skills of English are secure, children are able to use their English skills as the creative and powerful communication tool they are.  

English starts with the development of strong oracy skills. The Writing Framework, DFE, 2025 states, “Children first develop language through talk.” Recognising the power of talk ensures that oracy is at the heart of our English curriculum but is also an embedded part of the culture of school.  

We prioritise the early development of automaticity in handwriting and spelling, as we recognise that children’s cognitive load becomes heavier and could become a barrier to composition. Careful consideration has been given to the teaching of these elements to create more fluent, confident writers. 

Our bespoke writing curriculum reflects guidance (including that of The Writing Framework, DFE, 2025)  stresses the importance of understanding the different phases of the writing process and the value of each phase. Our children are taught the skills and techniques needed to write and then given the time to plan, draft, revise, edit, and share their writing.  

Despite creating a bespoke curriculum, it is important to note that as a school we follow the National Curriculum and use this as our progression model. Planning for each year group is sequenced to build on prior learning, with clear end points, which teachers use to assess progress. Teachers adapt the curriculum as required to meet the needs of all pupils, however, all pupils (including those with SEND and vulnerable children) are taught the full English curriculum.

We recognise the importance and value of children reading for pleasure, and strive to help pupils to develop a love of reading for pleasure, as well as for information, by reading widely and often. The Reading Framework, DFE 2023, makes clear links between children’s risk of failure and children's love of reading. Likewise, it reflects on how a love of reading goes hand in hand with success in reading. 

We understand the importance of helping our children to develop their vocabulary and aim to do this through exploring a rich and broad vocabulary in all curriculum areas and during reading sessions. We also recognise the value of talk, nursery rhymes, learning songs, listening to stories and exploring a range of texts.   While this is arguable particularly strong across our Early years settings, it is not limited to those year groups. “Understanding vocabulary is vital for comprehension at all stages – both reading and listening – and so for all pupils’ wider learning and progress.” Reading Framework, DFE 2023.

In developing confident writers, we recognise the need for pupils to write for a variety of purposes and audiences; clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style as required. We aim for pupils to take pride in their writing and to present their work to a high standard. In preparation for later life, we aim for pupils to enter into discussion, present their ideas to each other by talking, elaborate on others points and their own and explain themselves clearly.

English as an additional language: we are fortunate to benefit from a wide and varied range of languages spoken by the pupils, families and staff at Woodlands Primary School. Whilst we speak English in school, we encourage parents to continue to provide opportunities for their children to continue developing an understanding of their family’s first language. This is really crucial to enable the children to develop a secure understanding of the structure of language.

Implementation*

All children have a daily English lesson where children have the opportunity to respond to feedback, practise basic skills and develop confidence as a reader, writer and orator.

Writing

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” ― Martin Luther King.

From Year One, our bespoke writing curriculum puts fundamentals first. This means that each half term grammar or a concept of writing such as cohesion is at the heart of our teaching. This reflects The Writing Framework DFE, 2025 claims, “...pupils need to be taught about these written structures, and how to use them accurately and effectively.” We teach these structures using a range of texts that are tailored to reflect the wider learning across school. A carefully planned, progressive series of activities allow our students to feel confident with the skill. 

The Writing Framework DFE, 2025 warns that, whilst knowledge of grammar helps pupils to control sentences and convey meaning, grammar alone does not support their writing fluency. In order to teach children how to use these skills in their writing, careful modelling of the planning and writing process is shared. Following this, children complete a structured write where they can demonstrate these skills. We call this: The Innovate. Having completed this, the children move on to write a similar text, which is completed much more independently. This part of the process is called: The Create. Finally, we aim for the children to then apply these skills to a different text related to an area of the curriculum they have studying. The final part of this process is called: The Invent. “The writing process mirrors the thinking process. The process is the same for all ages. It means that teachers can use the writing process in all year groups.” (The Writing Framework, DFE, 2025) Thus, the same process of concept, innovate, create and invent is followed across each year group. 

Purposes for writing are identified on the long term plan and children are taught how we change the way we write depending on the purpose/audience. 

Children write their end of unit piece in red ‘Published Writing’ books. These are passed up through school with the children.

Assessment: teachers assess children’s work, at the end of each unit, against clear end points. We are in the early days of using Comparative Judgement as a way of moderating our judgements outside of school. 

Spelling 

In Early Years, KS1 and Year 3, we follow a phonics led approach to spelling. These foundations are then built upon, with the Essential Spelling scheme implemented from Years 4 to 6. This is a whole class approach that teaches children spelling patterns, strategies and knowledge aligned with National Curriculum expectations. Through each teaching sequence, teachers are guided to explicitly teach the spelling patterns through phonics, morphology and etymology. Children are taught strategies to inform their independent spelling knowledge and application. Vocabulary development is woven in throughout. Children are encouraged to actively take part and shape their learning, through investigations, rather than passively listen. 

In KS2, children use dictionaries during editing to check and correct spelling independently. Children in Y2 begin using an online thesaurus when choosing vocabulary in writing.

Assessment: children complete a baseline assessment of the common exception words at the beginning of the school year. This is repeated termly to help teachers track progress and identify children who need intervention. The results are also sent home each term, so parents/carers can also track their child(ren)’s progress.

Handwriting

Handwriting is taught daily and through a clearly sequenced progressive approach. As a school we follow the Teach Handwriting scheme. The font is displayed in every classroom throughout the school (print in F2 - Y1 and continuous cursive in Y2 - Y6). In Year Two we move from print to continuous cursive and introduce joining. In Nursery, children begin by mark marking, line making - shapes and patterns. Letter formation (print) is taught in the first term of F2. In F2, the children are also shown the correct pencil grip. Increasing control and focus on the position of letters (including decenders and ascenders) develops in Y1 and Y2. Children are also shown how to tilt the paper and the correct sitting posture when writing. Gross and fine motor skills are practised weekly through to Year 4. 

Assessment: children complete a baseline assessment - one sentence containing all the letters in the alphabet. This is repeated termly to help teachers track progress and identify children who need intervention. The assessment sheet is glued inside the front cover of the published writing books. Each year, a new sheet is glued on top so teachers and leaders have a quick way to monitor progress in handwriting over time.

Oracy

"Reading and writing float on a sea of talk." ―James Britton

Oracy is the thread that holds English together. Reading aloud, listening to stories, text talk, songs, nursery rhymes and repetition are common practises in reading lessons. In writing, speaking skills are developed when children are encouraged to rehearse sentence structures before writing. Discussions are also encouraged in English lessons. 

“Too often young people are denied the opportunity to learn how to articulate their ideas effectively and gain the confidence to find their voice.” (Hyman 2025) With this in mind, oracy is not restricted to English; opportunities for oracy are embedded across the curriculum. Sentence stems are used in subjects like maths to help empower children and help structure their reasoning. 

Oracy strategies like think, pair, share or marketplace, for example, help foster engagement and act as a quick assessment opportunity. CPD on drama techniques has been delivered, as has other oracy strategies like concept cartoons, language scaffolding tools and talking point resources - all designed to aid teaching and learning, whilst encouraging oracy. 

Assessment: a progression document sets out the foundational skills children need to develop in each year group. Teachers use these documents to help plan and assess.

Reading

“Reading is the gateway of learning that makes all other learning possible.” ― Barack Obama

Reading is taught in a variety of ways, each with its own value and purpose. The Reading Framework, DFE, 2023 “We are not usually conscious of the huge amount of processing our brains do when we read.” Whole class reading (VIPERS) allows us the opportunity to explicitly model this process. Teachers choose challenging texts, which in turn allows them to model good reading, exposes children to a wider range of vocabulary and sentence types than is perhaps accessible to them at their independent reading level. These whole class lessons help children develop comprehension strategies.

Text Talk involves adults working with smaller groups of children using a carefully levelled text. This lesson is designed to allow the children the opportunity to practise reading a ‘decodable’ book or text. Children are encouraged to sound out unfamiliar words and develop reading fluency and prosody by reading aloud. Alongside this, the adult can use this opportunity to develop comprehension strategies by working on cohesion, explaining new vocabulary and developing book talk. 

We use Accelerated Reader (AR): a powerful tool for monitoring and managing independent reading practice as well as motivating children to read for pleasure. We implement AR at different stages during Year 2, when the children are ready to progress to this more independent way of reading. Children can choose their own books that suit their interests, age, and ability. After completing a STAR reading test, each child has an individual reading difficulty range, helping them find a ‘just right’ balance between reading success and challenge. Upon finishing a book, readers take a quiz to monitor their comprehension. The quiz gives them instant feedback to help them progress. Quizzes and targets help to build a regular, quality reading habit, encourage daily practice with friendly prompts, and help celebrate success. 

Whilst arguably all of the reading approaches we adopt encourage reading for pleasure, each class also enjoys a daily class story. The Reading Framework, DFE, 2025 states, “When teachers read aloud to a class, they try to replicate for children what it feels like to have someone’s undivided attention while sharing a story. This is why reading aloud should be a priority.” Every day, at least once per day, teachers read aloud to their class - prioritising this time for our children. Author and illustrator visits to school have also been arranged, on a regular basis, to raise the profile of reading in school and help children see themselves as readers and writers. 

To further help children develop a love of reading, we have invested over £10,000 in high-quality texts suitable for EYFS to Y6 and have completely redesigned and stocked our school library. As a school, our wider reading offer encourages children to explore a wide variety of texts and enriching children’s reading journey through: daily poetry, religious stories and books that highlight other cultures. 

Assessment: in F2 and Y1, teachers use book bands to assess children’s decoding on a half termly basis. This continues in Y2 until children move onto Accelerated Reader books. From this point onwards, teachers use STAR test data to assess children’s comprehension on a termly basis.

* Please read in conjunction with the statement about early reading and phonics.

Impact

Regular monitoring enables the English team, in conjunction with SLT, to closely evaluate the impact of our English curriculum. 

Children are talking more confidently about books and during reading sessions many children are recommending the book they are returning to other children, talking about their favourite author, or genres they enjoy. Staff continue to model book talk to further develop cohesion. Communication skills are improving – both written and oral. 

Speaking and listening skills are embedded into all aspects of curriculum life with group discussion being carefully modelled, encouraged and developed. Children are contributing with more confidence than ever before. Children recite their class poem daily and have the opportunity to perform in class assemblies. Children's listening skills are also improving, with children taking turns and listening to each other as well as the adults. Many children are now responding to the viewpoints of others in class discussions.

The investigative approach to the teaching of spelling has encouraged children to feel more confident when attempting the spellings of unknown words. It has allowed children to make connections and spot patterns between words they are familiar with and those unfamiliar to them. 

The implementation of the Fundamentals First approach, has led to a marked improvement in children’s writing, with children confidently applying the grammar skills taught in their writing. They are becoming much more independent and rely less on support and more on planning and drafting as they write. The new focus on disciplinary literacy has led to higher standards in other curriculum areas as well as children becoming more confident in writing for a range of purposes and in different degrees of formality. Children are more engaged as a result of being better able to access the wider curriculum.