English is one of the core areas of our curriculum because developing the ability to communicate effectively and to comprehend both the written and spoken language leads to success in all other areas of the school curriculum, in the world of work, and in most aspects of day-to-day life.

We challenge our pupils to be strong and courageous in the development of their reading and writing skills. English is of the upmost importance in our school and we strive to equip our pupils so that they become more independent, confident and resilient in their learning as they progress through our school.

Our intent is for our pupils to become avid readers who are excited about books, and we believe that our outstanding phonics teaching from their first full week in Reception should ensure that our pupils learn to blend and decode words confidently and fluently.

We provide our children with numerous opportunities to speak, expressing their opinions and articulating their feelings, with intent to build confidence and adeptness in speaking – a skill that will serve them well as they progress throughout the school and beyond. We also provide them with opportunities to listen to others and respond appropriately, both within and outside of lessons. Our pupils learn to speak confidently in front of their class, as well as before an audience that they may not know as well, such as in assemblies, collective worship, school productions and external events.

Furthermore, we intend for our pupils to develop a passion for writing. We strive to equip them with the ability to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions in their writing, clearly, cohesively and creatively. We intend to create independent writers who can read, edit and improve their own writing and help them develop the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and spelling so that they can confidently implement it into their work. We hold incredibly high standards for our pupils, which they rarely disappoint us on. We encourage them to take pride in their work by adopting a fluent handwriting style from Year 2 – 6, and to always strive to do their best.