English

At North Star 180, our English curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils. Learning is carefully planned to be inclusive, accessible, and meaningful, supporting pupils to develop knowledge, skills, and
understanding that are relevant to their lives. Through a well-sequenced and personalised approach, pupils are supported to make progress from their individual starting points, building confidence, independence, and readiness for future learning and adulthood.

Intent

The intent of the English curriculum in primary is to:

·         inspire a lifelong love of literature and language while equipping children with the skills and knowledge to become confident, articulate readers and writers. We want every child to experience the joy of reading and writing from their earliest days with us, with opportunities that build on their individual interests and promote creativity, curiosity, and personal expression.

·         through a carefully structured, text-based approach, we develop pupils’ technical skills alongside a genuine passion for reading and writing. Our chosen texts are diverse, engaging, and purposeful—forming meaningful links across the curriculum, particularly with subjects such as History and Geography. This ensures children see reading and writing not just as school-based tasks, but as an essential tool for understanding and communicating in the wider world.

·         help all our pupils grow into imaginative and effective communicators by fostering a love of language and encouraging thoughtful engagement with texts, we aim to develop readers who read for pleasure and for purpose.

·         encourage our children to write for a purpose, helping them see themselves as writers who take ownership of their work. We aim to foster a view of writing as an enjoyable and creative process, where children can express their ideas freely. Additionally, we focus on developing their ability to organise and plan their thoughts effectively, ensuring their writing is clear and purposeful.

·         ensure every child is well prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond.

·         Ensure all children work towards meeting the National curriculum outcomes by tailoring the learning to meet the individual needs of the children as well as ensuring positive outcomes linked to each child’s EHCP educational target(s).

Implementation

The English curriculum in primary is implemented through:

·         a clear and progressive structure from early reading to confident, independent writing. Children learn to read securely through Little Wandle before developing fluency, comprehension and increasingly sophisticated writing skills. By Year 6, pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

·         clear, consistent and engaging approaches that support every child. Through Drawing Club, Curious Quests, Talk for Writing, Little Wandle and Cracking Comprehension, children benefit from structured teaching, rich discussion and strong modelling. Targeted support and timely intervention ensure all pupils can access high-quality texts and achieve their full potential.

·         active, creative and meaningful learning experiences. Children take part in drama, drawing, discussion and performance reading to help them understand and remember what they learn. Inspiring texts and real purposes for writing make learning exciting and relevant.

·         regular assessment that informs teaching and supports progress. Ongoing phonics checks, comprehension discussions and independent writing tasks help teachers quickly identify next steps. This ensures support and challenge are provided at the right time.

·         carefully planned support and high expectations for all. Model texts, vocabulary prompts and guided practice help children succeed, while teaching is adapted to meet individual needs. As confidence grows, scaffolds are gradually removed to promote independence.

Staff use a range of strategies and resources to ensure learning is engaging, accessible, and personalised, through purpose lessons that foster a positive relationship with reading and writing that encourages our children to develop resilience, creativity and expression through their writing and a thirst to learn and know more through what they read.

Impact

The impact of the primary English curriculum is demonstrated by:

·         Pupils developing a genuine love of reading and writing, which enables them to express their ideas and thoughts confidently both orally and in writing.

·         Pupils applying phonics, grammar and spelling strategies effectively in both reading and writing, helping them to write with confidence and coherence.

·         Pupils reading widely for pleasure and to deepen their understanding of topics and subjects. They are also able to express ideas through a range of non-fiction texts — such as reports, instructions, news articles, brochures and biographies — as well as through creative and fictional writing.

·         Regular assessments in reading, phonics, spelling and writing help to identify learning gaps early so that targeted support can be provided and progress effectively monitored.