English

Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement: English

Intent

At William Bellamy Primary School, we believe that every child should be given the best opportunities to develop strong oracy skills as a starting point to developing their reading and writing skills.

We believe that every child has the right to learn to read and to develop a lifelong love of reading. Through exposure to high-quality texts, we promote enjoyment and provide engaging, purposeful opportunities to strengthen reading skills.

Our children are also supported to write independently across a range of genres and for different purposes. Our rigorous and well-organised English curriculum enables pupils to develop a secure understanding of the writing process through Collaborative Writing sessions, fostering creativity and confidence in their writing.

Our Curriculum closely follows the aims of the National Curriculum to enable pupils to:

Read easily, fluently and with good understanding
Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
Are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

These aims are embedded across all English lessons and throughout the wider curriculum. We provide carefully planned opportunities for pupils to develop a secure knowledge base in English, following a clear progression as they move through the primary years. Through a combination of formative and summative assessment, we are able to identify next steps and provide targeted support to ensure that every child achieves success in English.

We believe that a strong foundation in literacy is essential to a high-quality education. It equips our pupils with the skills and confidence they need to participate fully and successfully in society.

Our overarching intent is rooted in nurture and diversity. This is reflected throughout our curriculum, ensuring it represents our school community, with teaching delivered through a consistently nurturing approach.

Implementation

At William Bellamy Primary School, speaking and listening skills are developed from the Early Years onwards. Teachers plan engaging and purposeful learning opportunities, drawing on approaches such as ECAT (Every Child a Talker) and Talk Boost to support language development. Strategies such as Philosophy for Children (P4C) are used to encourage storytelling, confidence and creativity. As pupils progress through the school, planning ensures regular opportunities for progression in discussion, debate, performance and presentation. Pupils learn to speak for a range of purposes and audiences, working independently as well as collaboratively in pairs, small groups and larger groups.

In Reading, our teachers act as positive role models, demonstrating a love of books through both reading and discussion. In Early Years and Key Stage 1, pupils take part in daily Guided Reading sessions, with small groups working closely with an adult at least twice a week. In Key Stage 2, pupils engage in daily whole-class reading and discussion sessions. Where appropriate, pupils in KS2 who are still developing decoding skills, those new to English, or those with identified learning needs, continue to access Guided Reading support.

Across the school, pupils participate in OTTER reading (Our Time to Enjoy Reading) at least three times a week. In KS1, children are encouraged to read regularly through the Read to Succeed incentive, while KS2 pupils take part in the Starbooks reading initiative. We also provide a wide range of engaging activities to promote a love of reading, including Reading Bug Clubs with parents, parent workshops, celebrations for World Book Day, Buddy Reading between older and younger pupils, and regular visits to our library bus.

At William Bellamy Primary School, Phonics is taught using the Twinkl programme and is delivered daily across the school. Pupils are assessed half-termly and grouped according to their phonics level to ensure targeted support. Teachers maximise opportunities for incidental learning throughout the day, reinforcing previously taught sounds and words. Spellings are practised regularly both in school and at home, in line with each year group’s curriculum expectations.

When planning for writing, teachers use high-quality texts, generating lesson sequences, to inspire and structure learning. English Leads provide ongoing support with the sequencing of lessons. Units are carefully planned to build progressively towards a sustained piece of independent writing, often referred to as a ‘Polished Piece’. Assessment for learning is embedded within all English lessons, with pupils actively engaging in reviewing and improving their work through regular verbal feedback and collaborative writing, ensuring a personalised approach to progress.

There is a strong emphasis on the accurate modelling and application of grammar by all teachers. Progression in grammar skills is ensured through careful planning in line with year group SPaG objectives. Handwriting is taught daily and is consistently reinforced across the curriculum to promote high standards of presentation and pride in all written work.

Teaching and learning in English are rigorously monitored throughout the year through teaching and learning reviews, senior leadership monitoring of planning and pupils’ work, team teaching with senior staff, and regular informal drop-ins. Writing is also moderated termly across year groups to ensure consistency and high expectations.

At William Bellamy Primary School, the English Curriculum aims to:

Ensure there are clear learning outcomes allowing for progression, challenge and reinforcement of key knowledge and skills.
Ensure that English skills have application opportunities across the curriculum and that cross curricular links are authentic, deepen or extend learning and enrich understanding.
Ensure that Rights Respecting articles have clear, relevant links.
Inspire pupils to want to learn more and to enjoy learning through the development of cultural capital, enrichment activities and creative outcomes that are relevant to the pupils we teach and engage them in the learning process.
Promote effective learning habits including perseverance, sharing, creativity, empathy and reflectiveness.

Impact

Through the careful organisation of our English curriculum, we are developing a community of enthusiastic readers and writers who take pride in showcasing their growing literacy knowledge and skills. Pupils are encouraged to take risks in their reading and writing, and confidently engage in discussion, debate and the sharing of ideas and support each other to improve on their own learning.

High-quality outcomes in English and across the wider curriculum reflect the impact of varied and meaningful cross-curricular writing opportunities. These experiences enable pupils to adapt, edit and improve their writing effectively to suit different purposes and audiences.

The impact of our curriculum is evidenced through pupils’ recorded work, as well as their attainment at the end of each key stage, in line with national expectations.