English 2025 - 2026

At All Saints, we deliver the English National Curriculum through high-quality texts. Grammar is taught in context, wherever possible, and we explicitly teach spelling through the Read, Write Inc. Spelling Programme or using Spelling Shed.  Oracy and listening skills are developed through planned opportunities and the school is also developing Voice 21 strategies to enhance the teaching of oracy skills.

Phonics

We use Read, Write Inc. to teach phonics at All Saints. This is a high quality, daily, discrete session which we begin in Nursery.  The programme is continued throughout Reception and Year 1, with some children continuing into year 2 and beyond if needed. The scheme is tailored to the needs of individual children and groups. More information about this programme can be found through this link. http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/parents/

Reading

 We aim to teach children the life skill of fluent reading and a joy of reading by developing

• phonic knowledge and skills
• fluency and accuracy in reading across a wide range of contexts
• knowledge of an extensive and rich vocabulary
• comprehension of texts
• motivation to read for both study and for pleasure
• knowledge of literature and poetry through having read a rich and varied range of texts

We use a variety of reading scheme texts and non-scheme books to ensure children learn and apply a range of reading strategies. We endeavour to provide books/texts that engage all children and their varied interests.

Our home reading book organisation system is based on Book Bands or the Read, Write Inc. colour. Each band or colour has carefully chosen phonic sounds, words and phrases. As the children progress, the comprehension difficulty increases. Once children can read fluently at each band, they are able to select a reader for home from our extensive library. Parents are expected to hear their child read every day and to return their book bag and reading record to school. Oxford Owl have a selection of free e-readers for all age groups that can be accessed on tablets and on PCs at home. Sign up for free to access these materials. https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/

All Saints Writing -How we teach what we teach.

Pathways is a methodology designed to equip pupils with key skills to move them through the writing process towards their final outcome. It is built around units of work that follow a mastery approach to the teaching of writing. To support this approach, clear detailed lesson plans and resources are linked to a high-quality and diverse text. Pathways to Write ensures engaging and purposeful English lessons. 

Each unit covers a range of areas in the national curriculum: Mastery of vocabulary; grammar and punctuation skills; writing a range of genres across a year; vocabulary development; using a wider range of reading comprehension strategies as a whole class; spoken language activities including drama and presentations. There are also opportunities for practising previously taught genres and opportunities for extended independent pieces of writing. This process follows three stages:

The Gateway 

Begin at the Gateway with a ‘hook’ session to intrigue and enthuse young writers

Use objects, people, images or role-play to stimulate questions about the chosen text

Give pupils the opportunity to predict the text

Establish the purpose and audience of the writing

Revisit previous mastery skills and ongoing skills

The Pathway 

Introduce pupils to three new writing skills from their year group curriculum

Provide opportunities to practise and apply the skill they have learnt through short and extended writing tasks including character descriptions, poetry, dialogue between characters, fact files or diary entries in role

Provide opportunities to re-cap and apply previously taught skills

Challenge greater depth writers through a wider range of tasks e.g. changes to form, viewpoint and audience

Writeaway 

Section and sequence texts independently or collaboratively

Create extended pieces of writing over time

Opportunity to apply mastery skills

Time for planning, writing, checking, editing, redrafting and publishing

A fiction or non-fiction outcome will be written (covering a wide range of genres and themes over the year)

Spelling and Grammar

In Early Years and Key Stage 1 the children are taught spelling patterns through phonics using Read Write Inc. In year 2 this is consolidated using the Read Write Inc. spelling programme. They are taught common exception words and high frequency words as part of the English curriculum. Children also use the Spelling Shed on line programme.

Children in Key Stage 2 are primarily taught spelling using Spelling Shed materials. Each child is able to access Spelling Shed online to practice their spellings.

Grammar is taught through texts as part of the English curriculum and not usually taught as a discrete discipline. It is mostly integrated into the learning in English over the week so that the grammar children are exposed to is in a real context.

Here is a link to the National Curriculum Spelling Patterns and Spelling Lists for KS1 and KS2 children.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239784/English_Appendix_1_-_Spelling.pdf

Here is a link to the full National Curriculum document for English for KS1 and KS2.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335186/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_English_220714.pdf

Speaking and Listening

The English National Curriculum states that pupils should be taught to:

• listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
• ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
• use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
• articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
• give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
• maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
• use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
• speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
• participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates
• gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
• consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
• select and use appropriate registers for effective communication

At All Saints we plan activities to develop these skills across all subjects using Voice 21 strategies