English is at the heart of our curriculum. Through speaking, listening, reading and writing, children develop the knowledge and skills they need to communicate confidently, understand the world around them and access learning across the curriculum.

We want children to develop a genuine love of reading and language. Through a rich range of texts and purposeful opportunities to talk, read and write, children encounter new ideas, develop their vocabulary and learn to express their own thoughts with increasing clarity and confidence.

Reading

Reading is fundamental to children's learning at King’s Cliffe. From the earliest stages, children are supported to develop the skills they need to become fluent readers, alongside developing their understanding of what they read.

As children progress through school, they encounter an increasingly wide range of texts and develop their ability to retrieve information, make connections and inferences, explore vocabulary and discuss meaning. We want children not only to learn to read, but to become readers who are curious, thoughtful and enthusiastic about books.

Further information about our approach and the progression of learning can be found on our Reading page.

Writing

Children learn to write confidently and effectively for a range of purposes and audiences.

Writing develops progressively from children's earliest attempts to communicate meaning through words and sentences to increasingly sophisticated and independent composition. Children learn to explore models of writing, generate and organise ideas, plan and draft, and make deliberate choices about vocabulary, grammar and structure.

Spelling, punctuation and grammar develop alongside composition. Children are also taught to evaluate, edit and improve their work, becoming increasingly independent in making choices that enhance their writing and communicate meaning clearly.

Further information, including our progression from Foundation to Year 6, can be found on our Writing page.

Phonics

Phonics provides the foundations for early reading and spelling. We use Monster Phonics, a systematic synthetic phonics programme, to support children in developing their phonic knowledge and applying this when reading and writing.

Children learn to recognise sounds, blend them to read words and segment words for spelling. Fully decodable books are matched to children's developing phonic knowledge so that they can practise what they have been taught and develop confidence and fluency.

More information, including resources for parents, can be found on our Phonics page.

Handwriting

Clear and fluent handwriting supports children in communicating their ideas effectively. From Pre-School to Year 6, we use the Letter-join approach to develop children's handwriting progressively.

Children develop their letter formation, consistency and fluency so that handwriting becomes increasingly automatic and allows them to concentrate on the content and quality of their writing.

Further information and resources for supporting handwriting at home can be found on our Handwriting page.

Our English Curriculum

Across English, learning is carefully developed so that children build upon what they already know. Speaking and listening, reading and writing complement one another: children encounter and discuss language and texts, develop their knowledge and vocabulary, and apply what they have learned in their own communication.

Our aim is for every child to leave King’s Cliffe as a confident communicator, fluent reader and capable writer, equipped with the English knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education and with a love of language and reading that extends beyond the classroom.