English
English
At Woodlands Primary School, we believe strong reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are the foundation for success in school and later life. English is at the heart of everything we do.
Our Vision
We aim to develop children who are:
Articulate speakers and attentive listeners
Fluent, enthusiastic readers
Skilled, independent writers
Proud of their work
Confident communicators
We follow the National Curriculum (as well as the Reading and Writing Reviews) as the basis for our curriculum, which we enhance with our own carefully designed approach to ensure every child makes strong progress.
Speaking & Listening (Oracy)
We know that at the root of English sits the skill of talk. Children are encouraged to share ideas, explain their thinking and respond to others respectfully. Oracy is woven through all subjects with strategies such as partner discussions and sentence starters helping children build confidence and structure their thinking. By the time they leave us, pupils can present ideas clearly and take part in thoughtful discussions.
Reading
We are passionate about helping children develop a lifelong love of reading. Children experience reading in several ways:
Whole-class reading and discussion to develop comprehension skills
Small group reading (Text Talk) to build fluency and confidence
Independent reading, supported by Accelerated Reader from Year 2 and throughout Key Stage 2
Daily class story time, where teachers read aloud
We have invested heavily in high-quality books and a fully stocked library so that every child can discover authors, genres and topics they enjoy. We encourage reading for pleasure as well as for learning.
Writing
Our bespoke writing curriculum builds skills step by step. Children are explicitly taught grammar, sentence structure and writing techniques, then given time to plan, draft, edit and improve their work before publishing.
We use a clear writing process across the school:
Skill – A new concept or skill is taught, explored and practised.
Innovate – The new skill or concept is then practised, with support in a write.
Create – Children are given a similar writing task to complete more independently
Invent – In this write, children bring knowledge learned in other areas of the curriculum together with new writing skills, which are applied independently.
Children complete their final pieces in special 'Published Writing' books that move up through the school with them, showing their progress over time.
Spelling & Handwriting
We prioritise strong foundations so that children can focus on expressing their ideas confidently.
Spelling begins with phonics and develops into learning patterns, word origins and spelling strategies in Key Stage 2.
Handwriting is taught daily using a consistent, progressive approach from early mark-making in Nursery to joined cursive writing in Year 2 and beyond.
Regular assessments help teachers identify children who may need extra support, and progress is shared with parents.
Supporting All Learners
All pupils — including those with SEND and children learning English as an additional language — access the full English curriculum. We celebrate the many languages spoken in our school community and encourage families to continue developing their home language alongside English.
