English

What we believe for our curriculum (Intent)

We give pupils many chances to read, write and speak in different ways and for real purposes. This helps them think carefully about their work, share ideas and get fully involved in their topics. Our goal is to help every child build strong English skills so that, over time, they grow from beginners into confident experts.

From the moment children join Birchwood, we focus on fluency in reading, writing and speaking. When children can do these with ease, their brains are free to tackle harder tasks, such as choosing words that suit the reader, explaining answers clearly or thinking about an author’s choices. In short, we make sure all pupils gain the key skills they need for later success.

A strong reading culture exists within the school. Leaders have ensured that there is a sharp focus on teaching pupils to read, from Reception Year onwards. Excellent training has ensured that staff have the skills to teach pupils to read fluently. Pupils who fall behind are quickly identified. Staff give them expert support to rapidly catch up. Pupils are extremely positive about reading – Ofsted 2022

Learning in English is a combination of the following pedagogical areas:

Components and sequencing

Our English curriculum is carefully planned so that pupils’ knowledge builds year by year. For example, children first learn to write simple sentences, then add joining words like “and” or “but”, then explore how sentence types affect the reader. We also know that children must read fluently before they can fully understand what they read. Each year builds on the one before, ensuring steady progress from EYFS to Year 6.

Memory

We make sure children ‘learn more and remember more’ by revisiting important knowledge often. Topics and key skills are repeated in new ways so that learning becomes long-term and can be used confidently in future lessons.

Disciplinary Rigour

We make sure that all pupils have a strong grasp of the basics so they can use their working memory for higher-level thinking. This means children can ask questions, make connections and explore ideas independently. Teachers also use their own subject knowledge to guide younger pupils, for example by asking prediction questions during story time.

How we put our aims into daily practice (Implementation) 

In English lessons we:

• Encourage a love of books and stories from our rich literary heritage
• Help pupils develop speaking and writing skills with growing confidence and awareness of audience
• Use drama, discussions and debates to build teamwork and communication
• Teach children to plan, edit and improve their writing
• Celebrate creativity and imagination
• Teach essential skills like grammar, spelling, punctuation, phonics and comprehension

Speaking and Listening opportunities 

Children at Birchwood take part in many speaking events, such as poetry recitals, class presentations, Pupil Voice meetings and assemblies and school productions. These activities build confidence and communication skills in fun, meaningful ways.

Pre-teaching

Before starting a new topic or unit of work, we give children experiences to help them connect with the upcoming learning. This might include trips, special events or home activities shared with parents. These experiences make lessons more engaging and help all children understand new ideas more easily.

Entitlement – English and inclusion

We want every child to succeed in English. Our teaching is inclusive and adapted for pupils with special educational needs, disabilities, gifts and talents, or those learning English as an additional language. We provide the support needed for everyone to make good progress.

SEND

Our English Subjet Leader and SENDCo work together to make sure pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum. Plans and resources are adapted to meet individual needs and additional practice or pre-teaching allows children to reach ambitious goals. Teachers regularly assess progress and adjust teaching so that every child can learn effectively.

Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium funding helps us support children from disadvantaged backgrounds through extra teaching and learning opportunities. We track the impact of this carefully and share the details on our website.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) are also supported and celebrated. We value the different languages and stories they bring and encourage them to share these with our school community.

We are successful because (Impact) 

Pedagogy

The English Subject Lead, Subject Governor and Executive Head Teacher regularly check that teaching matches the aims of our English curriculum. They review phonics, reading and writing at least once each term. End-of-unit reviews and pupil work displays help ensure that key English knowledge and skills are remembered over time.

Assessment 

Teachers and Teaching Assistants assess children’s English work through live marking — giving quick, in-the-moment feedback that pupils can act on straight away. Questioning helps pupils explain their answers and use evidence to support their ideas. All pupils are encouraged to review their own work and that of others to spot areas for improvement.

Teachers track each child’s progress against lesson objectives and use regular tasks, such as half-termly extended writing, to judge whether pupils are working at the expected level or at greater depth. This information helps teachers plan next steps, close learning gaps and report progress to parents. It is also shared with the next teacher and the English subject leader to support ongoing progress and curriculum planning.

Culture  

The English subject leader provides clear leadership and direction for English at Birchwood. They champion the subject, support colleagues in their teaching, and stay up to date with new developments. By leading on policy and planning, they make sure skills progress smoothly across all year groups and that English links well with other subjects. Working with other schools and the wider community also helps ensure pupils have real-life and extended learning opportunities.

Examples of impact:

• National Poetry Day 2023: Every pupil learned a poem by heart and performed it to their class. Class winners shared their poems in a whole-school assembly attended by the local newspaper.

• Improved results: KS1 and KS2 English results have risen significantly since 2018 and remain above national averages.

• Phonics success: Year 1 phonics results were above national in 2019, and Year 2 achieved a 100% pass rate in 2020.

• Pupil engagement: Learning walks and pupil feedback show children are highly motivated and passionate about reading and English. Even our youngest pupils confidently use advanced vocabulary such as metamorphosis.

• Writing achievement: In 2022, 93% of Year 6 pupils met expected standards in writing and 50% achieved greater depth (verified by county moderation). 50% also reached greater depth in reading SATs.

• Reading culture: The Birchwood Reading Diet has encouraged more pupils to read regularly at home and complete weekly reading challenges.

• Community involvement: Our “Book Share Fridge” invites families and local residents to swap and enjoy books, strengthening reading enjoyment across the community.

Systems  

The English subject leader is responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and pupils’ work in English. This follows a yearly cycle that includes reviewing data, planning actions, sampling work and checking resources in the Autumn Term. In the Spring, the subject leader meets with pupils, reviews planning, and moderates writing with other schools. During the Summer Term, they review the English policy, look at further samples of work, and analyse SATs results to identify strengths and next steps.

Policy 

Where appropriate, English themes and texts are linked to wider school topics. For example, KS2 class books such as Private Peaceful and When the Sky Falls help pupils learn about the local RAF history at Martlesham Heath and its role in aviation during both World Wars.