Overview

Our English curriculum is designed to ensure that every child becomes a fluent, confident reader and writer, with spoken language at the heart of learning. Early reading is prioritised, with the aim that children are fluent by the time they are 7. If not, every effort is made to help them catch up so that they can access an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum which is designed and delivered in a way to help them remember more. A tangible culture of reading resonates throughout the school.

Reading is taught systematically and progressively, underpinned by the National Curriculum and a rigorous phonics programme Read Write Inc. This is delivered with fidelity from Reception to Year 2 (and beyond for those who need it). When ready, children move onto Accelerated Reader to practice their independent reading skills, hone their reading comprehension and experience a wide range of texts which are carefully matched to their abilities.

From the earliest stages, pupils develop strong word-reading, fluency and comprehension skills through carefully sequenced teaching, daily reading opportunities and exposure to a rich and diverse range of high-quality texts. Reading is embedded across the curriculum, enabling pupils to build knowledge, develop vocabulary and engage in meaningful discussion, while targeted support ensures all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have SEND, make strong progress.

Writing is taught through well-structured learning journeys that build cumulatively on prior knowledge and link closely to high-quality texts. Pupils are immersed in language, ideas and subject knowledge, enabling them to write purposefully for a range of audiences and outcomes. Grammar, vocabulary and transcriptional skills are taught both within meaningful contexts and discretely where appropriate, with regular opportunities for pupils to practise, refine and apply their learning creatively.

Oracy underpins all aspects of the English curriculum. Pupils are explicitly taught how to articulate ideas, listen attentively and communicate effectively across a range of contexts. Structured opportunities for talk, alongside consistent language structures and high expectations, support pupils to develop confidence, clarity and precision in spoken language.

Through high-quality teaching, effective feedback and responsive assessment, pupils develop a love of reading, see themselves as writers and leave Totley Primary as articulate, literate learners. By the time they move on to the next stage of their education, pupils are well equipped with the reading, writing and communication skills needed to succeed, alongside a lifelong enjoyment of language and literature.

Reception

Reading

  • Listen to, retell and sequence familiar stories
  • Use and understand new vocabulary
  • Make simple predictions
  • Participate in discussion about texts
  • Develop phonics knowledge and early fluency

Writing

  • Orally rehearse sentences
  • Write simple sentences for meaning
  • Use vocabulary from stories and non-fiction
  • Write labels and captions
  • Begin to edit with adult support

Year 1

Reading

  • Retell stories and order key events
  • Retrieve information from texts
  • Make simple inferences
  • Predict using pictures, titles and patterns
  • Express opinions and personal connections

Writing

  • Write correctly punctuated sentences
  • Use nouns, verbs and adjectives
  • Join ideas using conjunctions
  • Write questions and exclamations
  • Sequence sentences logically

Year 2

Reading

  • Skim and scan to locate information
  • Retrieve and summarise key details
  • Make inferences using evidence
  • Predict events using textual clues
  • Compare texts and themes

Writing

  • Use expanded noun phrases
  • Link ideas using conjunctions
  • Use adverbs to add detail
  • Maintain tense consistency
  • Structure narratives and non-fiction

Year 3

Reading

  • Develop vocabulary using dictionaries and thesauruses
  • Identify themes and text purpose
  • Retrieve and summarise across paragraphs
  • Make inferences with justification
  • Read non-fiction for research

Writing

  • Write compound and complex sentences
  • Use adverbials and prepositional phrases
  • Organise ideas into paragraphs
  • Punctuate direct speech accurately
  • Select vocabulary for effect

Year 4

Reading

  • Analyse authorial language choices
  • Identify themes and conventions
  • Compare texts and viewpoints
  • Summarise ideas across sections
  • Use text structure to support understanding

Writing

  • Use varied sentence structures
  • Apply fronted adverbials with commas
  • Use figurative language effectively
  • Write cohesive paragraphs
  • Craft clear introductions and conclusions

Year 5

Reading

  • Analyse viewpoint and bias
  • Compare themes across texts
  • Infer meaning using precise evidence
  • Synthesise information from multiple sources
  • Evaluate language and structure

Writing

  • Manipulate sentence structures for impact
  • Use cohesive devices across paragraphs
  • Control formal and informal register
  • Use figurative and precise vocabulary
  • Edit writing for clarity and effect

Year 6

Reading

  • Interpret texts critically and independently
  • Justify responses using evidence
  • Compare complex themes and viewpoints
  • Synthesise ideas across texts
  • Read confidently across the curriculum

Writing

  • Write with control of tone and audience
  • Shape sentence structures for purpose
  • Maintain cohesion across whole texts
  • Use ambitious vocabulary precisely
  • Apply punctuation accurately for effect