Why is English important in our school? 

At Sudley Primary, English is central to our education and school life, supporting our values of being Respectful, Resilient, Reflective and Responsible. A high-quality English education helps our children to speak, write, and communicate confidently, expressing their ideas and emotions clearly. Reading plays a key role in their cultural, emotional, intellectual, and social development, with literature enriching their growth. It also enables children to gain knowledge and build on what they already know. Strong language skills are essential for children to thrive as confident members of society. 

AIMS 

Key Stage 1 (KS1) 

At Sudley Primary, our English curriculum in KS1 focuses on building a strong foundation in reading and writing through: 

• Developing phonics knowledge to read accurately and fluently. This is through our Read, Write, Inc programme.  

• Encouraging enjoyment of stories, poems, and non-fiction to foster a love of reading by deepening our vocabulary choices. 

• Beginning to write with clarity, using basic grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills. 

• Building confidence in speaking and listening to express ideas and understanding. 

Key Stage 2 (KS2) 

In KS2, we aim to deepen children’s skills in reading, writing, and communication by building upon prior learning by: 

• Developing fluency and comprehension in reading, including appreciation of a rich literary heritage. 

• Encouraging reading widely for both pleasure and information. 

• Expanding vocabulary, grammar, and linguistic skills to support effective communication. 

• Writing clearly, accurately, and creatively for a range of audiences and purposes. 

• Building confidence in discussion, debate, and presentations to express ideas effectively. 

How is English taught in our school? 

English is taught in our school through several high quality approaches. Phonics, reading and writing are carefully woven through all aspects of our curriculum.  

Reading 

For our children in EYFS and Key Stage 1, we follow the highly effective “Read, Write Inc” program, ensuring a solid foundation in reading and writing skills. As they progress to Key Stage 2, we shift to a quality text approach for guided reading, encouraging students to explore deeper layers of literature and critical thinking.  

Writing 

From EYFS to Year 6 children follow Ready, Steady, Write as their part of their writing curriculum. Teachers model writing to the children at every stage, enabling them to become effective writers. Children are taught to articulate their ideas to write for different purposes. Each lesson uses prior knowledge, daily practise and questioning to inform and enhance the children’s writing process, to reach their full potential. This includes scaffolds to support children in developing their vocabulary, sentence structure and punctuation. We carefully provide opportunities for independent practise, editing and sharing of our work, Building upon the prior knowledge from phonics and reading lessons, children are taught skills of handwriting and spelling daily.  

Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that children hear and speak in our school are vital for developing reading and writing. Through high quality discussions in all areas of the curriculum, children will develop the confidence to explain their understanding of books in preparation for becoming competent writers. 

In Sudley, we are committed to ensuring that all children, including those with additional needs, have equal access to the full curriculum. To achieve this, we implement a variety of tailored strategies and support structures, designed to meet each child’s unique needs. These include and specialised resources, such adapted learning materials and approaches as well as scaffolded support to help students engage fully with the English curriculum. 

What will children get from the teaching of English? 

Our English curriculum underpins each and every subject at Sudley Primary School. A mastery of the subject means our children can acquire new knowledge and build on what they already know, ensuring success, in their future education. We provide them with the skills and mindset to aim high and smile, for a brighter future.