English

At the Phoenix Federation, we believe that strong literacy skills are fundamental to children’s success across the curriculum and beyond. Our English curriculum aims to develop confident speakers, fluent and enthusiastic readers and purposeful, independent writers.

High-quality, diverse and language-rich texts are central to our approach. Through reading, writing and spoken language, children develop their vocabulary, deepen their knowledge and understanding of the world and learn to communicate confidently and effectively. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what children have previously learned. Key knowledge and skills are explicitly taught, revisited, practised and applied so that children develop fluency, confidence and increasing independence.

Reading

Reading is at the heart of the Phoenix Federation, and we want all children to develop a genuine love of reading. Children have access to a wide range of high-quality, diverse and language-rich books and reading materials that reflect our community and the wider world. Every classroom has an inviting reading area, and children have regular opportunities to read independently, read with others and listen to adults reading aloud. 

Our teaching develops both word reading and language comprehension. Children are taught to read accurately and fluently while developing the vocabulary, knowledge and comprehension skills needed to understand increasingly challenging texts.

In EYFS and KS1, children are taught phonics daily through Read Write Inc. (RWI). Children learn to hear, say, read and write sounds and use these to blend words for reading and segment words for spelling. Children who require further support continue to receive targeted phonics teaching beyond KS1 so that gaps in foundational reading knowledge are addressed quickly.

In KS2, children take part in a daily 45-minute reading session using the Destination Reader approach. Carefully selected, high-quality texts are explored as a whole class. Teachers explicitly model reading strategies before children practise and apply these with increasing independence. Children develop their ability to predict, clarify, question, summarise, make connections, evaluate, retrieve information and make inferences, using evidence from the text to explain and justify their thinking.

Alongside comprehension, we explicitly develop reading fluency. Teachers model fluent and expressive reading and provide opportunities for children to reread and practise texts, developing accuracy, automaticity, appropriate pace and expression. Children who are not yet reading fluently receive additional targeted teaching and practice.

Reading for pleasure is promoted throughout the Federation. Adults regularly read aloud, introducing children to a wide range of authors, genres and texts that they may not independently choose. Children are encouraged to talk about books, make recommendations, explore different authors and develop their own preferences and identities as readers. Children are also encouraged to read regularly at home and share their reading with an adult where appropriate.

By the end of KS1, children should be able to:

• decode unfamiliar words using their phonic knowledge
• read an increasing number of words accurately and automatically
• read age-appropriate texts with increasing fluency and expression
• demonstrate an understanding of what they have read
• discuss a range of stories, poems and non-fiction
• talk about books, authors and texts they enjoy.

By the end of KS2, children should be able to:

• read fluently, accurately and confidently
• understand and discuss increasingly challenging texts
• retrieve information and make appropriate inferences
• explain and justify their ideas using evidence from a text
• recognise and discuss a range of genres and text structures
• use strategies to understand unfamiliar vocabulary
• make connections between texts and their wider knowledge
• independently select and enjoy a wide range of reading material.

Writing

At the Phoenix Federation, we want children to become confident, fluent and purposeful writers who can communicate their ideas clearly and effectively.

We use the Luminary scheme of writing as a key resource to support the teaching of writing. High-quality, diverse and language-rich texts provide meaningful contexts for writing and expose children to ambitious vocabulary, different voices, styles and text structures. Writing opportunities have a clear purpose, audience and context, with children writing to entertain, inform, explain, persuade and instruct. Where appropriate, children also apply and develop their writing across the wider curriculum.

Our approach recognises that successful writing depends on children developing both transcription – spelling and handwriting – and composition – generating, organising and communicating ideas. These skills are explicitly taught and carefully sequenced so that children become increasingly fluent and independent writers.

The foundations for writing begin in EYFS. Children develop their spoken language and learn to compose ideas orally alongside the systematic teaching of phonics, spelling and handwriting. Children are encouraged to say and rehearse what they want to write before recording their ideas. As transcription skills become more secure, children are increasingly able to focus their attention on the content and composition of their writing.

Spoken language continues to play an important role throughout the writing process. Children discuss ideas, explore vocabulary and rehearse sentences orally before writing. Teachers explicitly model how writers generate and organise ideas, construct and combine sentences, draft, reread, revise, edit and evaluate their work. Shared and guided writing provide opportunities for children to practise these processes with support before scaffolds are gradually reduced and children take increasing responsibility for their own writing.

Children are taught that revising and editing are different processes. Revising focuses on improving meaning, vocabulary, sentence construction and organisation, while editing focuses on improving accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

We value quality over quantity. Children are supported to secure strong foundations in spelling, handwriting and sentence construction before being expected to produce increasingly sustained and complex pieces of writing.

Phonics and Spelling

In EYFS and Year 1, children receive daily systematic synthetic phonics teaching through Read Write Inc. Phonics supports both early reading and spelling by teaching children the relationship between sounds and letters.

As children progress, spelling is taught explicitly and systematically in line with the National Curriculum. Children develop their understanding of age-appropriate spelling patterns, rules and word structures and are given regular opportunities to practise and apply these within their writing. Dictation is used where appropriate to support children in applying their phonics, spelling, punctuation and sentence knowledge.

Teachers use assessment to identify gaps in spelling knowledge and provide additional teaching and practice where required. Our aim is for spelling to become increasingly accurate and automatic so that children can focus more fully on what they want to communicate.

Sentence Construction, Grammar and Punctuation

Effective sentence construction is fundamental to successful writing. Children are explicitly taught how to construct, combine and manipulate sentences to communicate their ideas clearly. Teachers model sentence construction and provide opportunities for children to orally rehearse, practise and improve sentences before applying their learning independently.

Grammar and punctuation are taught explicitly and purposefully. Children learn the grammatical knowledge and terminology outlined in the National Curriculum and, importantly, how this knowledge can help them control sentences and convey meaning.

Wherever possible, grammar and punctuation are explored through meaningful contexts, including the high-quality texts children read, sentence-level work, shared writing and children’s own writing. Our aim is for children to understand how and why writers make grammatical and punctuation choices rather than simply learning rules in isolation.

Handwriting

Handwriting is taught explicitly and progressively across the Phoenix Federation using the Letter-Join Programme. From Reception, children develop the physical skills, pencil control and accurate letter formation needed for writing. As they progress, children are taught appropriate letter joins and work towards handwriting that is fluent, legible and increasingly automatic.

Children practise handwriting regularly, and adults consistently model high-quality handwriting. Developing fluent handwriting is an important part of becoming an effective writer, as increasing automaticity enables children to focus more of their attention on the content and composition of their writing.

Spoken Language and Vocabulary

Spoken language underpins reading and writing. Children have regular opportunities to develop their confidence in speaking, listening and communicating their ideas clearly. They learn to listen and respond to others, explain their thinking, ask questions, develop ideas through discussion and adapt their spoken language for different audiences and purposes.

Partner and group discussion, oral rehearsal, storytelling, drama, debate, presentations and performances provide purposeful opportunities for children to develop their spoken language. Teachers model high-quality talk and support children to articulate increasingly complex ideas.

Developing a rich vocabulary is central to this work. Through high-quality texts, purposeful discussion and explicit teaching, children encounter and explore new vocabulary in meaningful contexts. Teachers explicitly teach the meaning and use of new words and provide repeated opportunities for children to hear, say, read and use them. Children are encouraged to be curious about language, make connections between words and select vocabulary carefully when speaking and writing.

Assessment and Inclusion

Our English curriculum is ambitious for all children, including those with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and children learning English as an additional language. Teachers maintain high expectations while making appropriate adaptations so that children can access and succeed within the curriculum.

Assessment is an integral part of teaching. Teachers use ongoing assessment during lessons, children’s independent work and appropriate statutory and school-based assessments to identify what children know, what they can apply independently and where further teaching or practice is required.

Children who are at risk of falling behind are identified as early as possible. Targeted teaching and additional practice focus precisely on the foundational knowledge and skills that have not yet been secured. This may include additional phonics teaching, reading fluency practice, vocabulary and language development, spelling and handwriting practice, oral rehearsal, sentence construction or targeted support with comprehension and composition.

For children learning English as an additional language, particular attention is given to developing vocabulary, high-quality talk, modelling and providing repeated opportunities to hear and use language. For children with SEND, teaching is appropriately adapted while maintaining ambitious curriculum goals.

Where children have gaps in foundational knowledge, these are addressed rather than moving children on to increasingly complex learning before they are ready. The impact of additional support is reviewed regularly and teaching is adapted accordingly.

English leaders work alongside teachers to ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently and effectively across the Federation. Monitoring, professional development and ongoing support are used to strengthen subject knowledge, identify priorities and continually improve provision.

Our aim is for every child to leave the Phoenix Federation as an enthusiastic reader, effective writer and confident communicator, equipped with the literacy knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education and beyond.