English at Sowerby
Intent
At Sowerby Primary Academy, our English curriculum aims to foster a deep understanding and appreciation of the English language through the development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. We offer a rich, progressive curriculum that provides purposeful opportunities for reading, writing, and the development of oracy skills. Closely aligned with the aims of the National Curriculum, our approach enables all children to become courageous learners who:
- read easily, fluently, and with good understanding, developing the habit of reading widely and often for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, a secure understanding of grammar, and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing, and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately, and coherently, adapting language and style for a range of contexts, purposes, and audiences
- use discussion to learn, elaborating and explaining their ideas and understanding clearly
- become confident in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others, and participating in debate
Our curriculum is rooted in high-quality Early Years provision, ensuring that children develop a strong foundation in language, literacy, and oracy from Nursery and Reception. In the Early Years, children engage in storytelling, role play, shared reading, mark-making, and phonological awareness activities. For example:
· Nursery children may explore rhymes and songs, engage in interactive storytelling, and practise mark-making to communicate ideas.
· Reception children begin to link sounds to letters, compose simple sentences, and retell familiar stories using rich vocabulary.
These experiences provide the building blocks for confident reading, writing, and discussion that continue throughout the primary years.
Importantly, the curriculum is inclusive and tailored to meet the needs of SEND pupils. Lessons are adapted to ensure that all children, regardless of ability or background, can access and engage with learning in English. This includes adaptive teaching strategies, targeted support, scaffolding for writing and comprehension, and opportunities for one-to-one or small group interventions where needed.
Implementation
These aims are embedded across all English lessons and applied across the wider curriculum, making learning meaningful and engaging. We provide children with a secure knowledge base in English that follows a clear pathway of progression throughout their primary education, building on Early Years foundations in phonics, vocabulary development, sentence construction, and oral language.
- Daily discrete English lessons ensure consistent skill development.
- Skills in spelling, punctuation, and grammar are taught separately but are also integrated into reading and writing across wider lessons.
- English skills are applied across other subjects when children record or share ideas. For example:
- In History, pupils may write a diary entry from the perspective of Mary Seacole or Florence Nightingale.
- In PSHE, children may produce a persuasive argument.
- In Science, pupils might participate in a debate about global warming.
Across the school, oracy is explicitly taught and modelled. Children are encouraged to share ideas confidently, develop vocabulary through discussion, and engage in structured talk. Early Years practitioners model this through rich, responsive conversations, story retelling, and group discussions, which progressively lead to more formal presentations and debates in later years.
The curriculum is inclusive for all pupils, including those with SEND. This is achieved through:
Adaptive teaching strategies and resources tailored to individual needs
·Small group and 1:1 support when needed
Scaffolded activities that allow all learners to achieve success
·Adapted assessments to demonstrate progress in ways that suit individual learners
Impact
Rigorous assessment and review enable us to provide targeted support so that all children experience success in English. By rooting our curriculum in strong Early Years practice, we ensure that children build foundational skills in phonics, vocabulary, and oracy, enabling them to progress confidently through reading, writing, and discussion across Key Stages 1 and 2.
Our inclusive approach ensures that all pupils, including those with SEND, can access the full English curriculum, develop confidence in communication, and make meaningful progress.
We believe that a secure foundation in English is crucial to a high-quality education and equips our children with the tools they need to participate fully and confidently as members of society. Through this structured, progressive, and inclusive approach, children leave Sowerby as:
- articulate, confident communicators
- fluent readers
- competent writers
…ready to thrive in the next stage of their education.