English

English 

We believe that a strong foundation in spoken language, reading, and writing is crucial for every child's learning journey and personal growth. Our English curriculum is designed to ensure every child becomes a confident communicator, a fluent reader, and a skilled writer. We follow the latest guidance from the DfE Reading Framework 2023 and the Writing Framework 2025. Our approach is underpinned by the Lancashire Talk Scheme, which promotes high standards and inclusive practices for all pupils. 

Through our English curriculum, we aim for all children to:

• Develop a lifelong love of reading and a desire to write for pleasure and purpose.
• Read and write with confidence, fluency, and a strong understanding across all areas of the curriculum and for a range of purposes.
• Develop a secure and automatic mastery of transcription skills (spelling and handwriting), freeing up their working memory to focus on composition.
• Develop a rich vocabulary and a strong understanding of sentence structures to express themselves effectively.
• Master the art of composition, including generating and structuring ideas for a range of purposes and audiences.
• Understand the function and importance of Standard English.
• Have a genuine interest in books and read for enjoyment.
• Understand the purpose of writing and develop a positive attitude towards it. 

The English Curriculum at St Peter's

We use the Lancashire Talk Units as a structured and sequenced framework to support the teaching of English across all year groups. These units are designed to embed quality teaching and learning through a strong emphasis on spoken language, which underpins all aspects of literacy development. English is taught following a teaching sequence that moves from reading through to writing. This sequence involves: 

• Creating interest in a chosen focus text.
• Reading, responding to, and analysing the focus text.
• Planning and gathering ideas for writing.
• Progressing from scaffolded to independent writing outcomes.
• Teaching grammar skills through warm-up activities alongside English lessons, providing opportunities to apply these skills in context. 

Foundation Stage (Reception)

In the Foundation Stage, our priority is building strong foundations for future learning. We do this by: 

• Fostering a love of reading aloud and singing songs and rhymes.
• Beginning daily Systematic, Synthetic Phonics (SSP) instruction early.
• Teaching oral composition, handwriting, and spelling.
• Beginning daily handwriting instruction, focusing on correct letter formation, pencil grip, and posture.
• Encouraging children to compose sentences orally before writing them down.
• Having children practise writing dictated sentences to reinforce transcription skills.
• Providing regular opportunities for conversation to develop vocabulary as part of a language-rich environment.
• Immersing children in an environment rich in print and possibilities for communication.
• Giving them opportunities to decode unfamiliar words and read familiar words with automaticity.
• Developing age-appropriate skills in transcription and composition.
• Developing motor control skills to enable them to hold a pencil correctly and form letters. 

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)

In Key Stage 1, we build on the strong foundations established in the Foundation Stage. Our approach includes: 

• Continuing daily SSP, with the aim of all children becoming fluent decoders by the end of Year 1.
• Using engaging texts for guided and independent reading to build a love of reading, knowledge, and vocabulary.
• Teachers modelling fluency and expression during read-aloud sessions.
• Building fluency in transcription while introducing more complex forms with varied vocabulary and punctuation.
• Introducing a simplified writing process, including planning (talking and drawing), drafting (writing sentences), and editing (checking for sense).
• Teaching children to write for a range of purposes and audiences in a meaningful way.
• Using oral rehearsal of sentences before writing them.
• Teaching sentence construction through talk and modelled writing.
• Teaching phonics-led spelling and handwriting instruction.
• Teaching grammar in context.
• Fostering independent and enthusiastic reading and writing.
• Encouraging pupils to use language to explore their own experiences and imaginary worlds.
• Using the Little Wandle and Red Rose spelling schemes (Year 2) and the Little Wandle handwriting scheme and Letter Join (Year 2).
• Developing fluent readers through the Little Wandle Guided Reading Scheme. 

Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6)

In Key Stage 2, we continue to prioritise reading fluency development. 

• Reading: Comprehension is developed through rich discussion and teacher modelling. The Fantastic Book Awards promote reading for pleasure and allow pupils to recommend and discuss books.
• Writing: The focus shifts to pupils refining their transcription skills while concentrating on composition, coherence, and developing a personal voice. Sentence-level teaching continues, focusing on varying sentence types and structures to enhance meaning and impact.
• The Full Writing Process: We teach the full writing process, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing. Pupils learn to write for meaning, structure, and impact.
• Meaning and Impact: Lessons focus on how grammatical and vocabulary choices affect meaning, tone, and the reader's response.
• Cross-Curricular Value: Writing is taught and valued across all subjects.
• Skills in Focus: Children should read a range of texts and respond to different layers of meaning in them. They will also explore the use of language in literary and non-literary texts and learn how to adapt their speech and writing for different purposes and audiences.
• Language Structure: Pupils learn how the structure of language works.
• Spelling and Grammar: We use the Lancashire I model for grammar instruction (taught in context) and the Lancashire Red Rose scheme for spelling.
• Handwriting: Handwriting is taught using the Letter Join scheme.