We are a text-rich Federation that fosters a positive climate of reading for pleasure. Through the use of the Essentials Curriculum, we ensure children have access to broad, balanced and differentiated reading opportunities. Children have individual reading books.  From Year 1 we use Guided Reading or whole class sessions to embed and develop reading skills. 

We use the systematic synthetic phonics programme called Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. A pupil’s journey into reading begins in Reception and leads up to Phonics Screening at the end of Year One. Children are given a ‘reading’ book straight away which is designed to help them begin a love of reading, when ready, children are moved onto a book with decodable words in for them to practice the skills they have been taught. Alongside this they also have a book of their own choice to help them develop their wish to read for pleasure. Our reading books are not banded or levelled as this detracts from a love of reading as it is seen as something to just move through. 

Spelling and grammar are taught through a Long Term Plan which has been devised from the National Curriculum. The plan focuses on teaching spelling strategies to enable children to use these across the curriculum. 

Our Federation places importance on all pupils being able to develop a legible, cursive style of handwriting. To enable this, we use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised up to the end of Year 1 and then the Nelson Handwriting scheme. 

English is assessed in accordance with our assessment policy using our Depth of Learning tracker and this enables teachers to track progress of all pupils through the subject, and ensures that there is the appropriate level of challenge and support.