At Thwaites School, English lies at the heart of our curriculum. We aim to develop pupils who read fluently and widely, write purposefully and communicate confidently. Through reading, writing, speaking and listening, pupils acquire the vocabulary, knowledge and confidence they need to succeed across the curriculum and participate fully in the wider world.

Our English curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully organised for our mixed-age classes. Reading and writing are taught as distinct but closely connected disciplines. High-quality texts inspire discussion, develop vocabulary and provide models that pupils can draw upon in their own writing.

Phonics and Early Reading

Phonics teaching begins in Nursery and takes place every day. We follow Twinkl Phonics, using an age-appropriate, carefully sequenced approach that enables pupils to build their knowledge of sounds progressively.

Children apply their phonics knowledge through fully decodable Twinkl Rhino Readers books. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds each child has already been taught, enabling pupils to practise successfully and develop confidence and fluency.

Pupils are expected to read at home every day and are asked to read to an adult in school at least once each week. Children who are at risk of falling behind receive additional practice, small-group teaching or individual intervention according to their needs.

Reading

Our reading curriculum develops accurate word reading, fluency, vocabulary and increasingly deep comprehension.

In Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1, reading-comprehension skills are introduced through carefully selected, accessible texts. The whole class discusses and answers questions during and after reading. Nursery and Reception children respond through discussion and related illustrations in their busy books, while pupils in Years 1 and 2 answer age-appropriate questions in their reading-comprehension books.

In Key Stage 2, each day begins with a word-reading activity. Activities include work on prefixes, suffixes and spelling patterns, alongside choral and echo reading to develop accuracy, expression and fluency.

VIPERS comprehension skills are taught explicitly through presentations, teacher modelling and guided practice. Pupils then read texts adapted to the expectations of their year group and answer appropriately challenging questions. This enables a Year 3 pupil and a Year 6 pupil to study the same reading skill while working with texts and questions matched to their respective curriculum expectations.

Reading for pleasure is promoted through class novels, the school library, classroom reading areas, regular independent reading and adults reading aloud. We want pupils to encounter a broad range of stories, poetry and non-fiction and develop a lasting enjoyment of reading.

Writing

Writing is taught as purposeful communication. Pupils learn to write for different audiences and purposes through carefully selected genres taught across the school.

Teachers introduce each genre through high-quality examples and explicitly teach its structure, presentation, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Pupils discuss and rehearse ideas before applying what they have learned through a writing process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing and producing a finished piece.

All year groups study the same broad genre at the same point in the year, with teaching and expectations adapted to each age group. This enables teachers and leaders to evaluate progression across the school and review an individual pupil’s development from one year to the next.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling are taught in meaningful contexts so that pupils understand how these elements improve clarity and effect. Spelling Shed supports the systematic teaching and practice of spelling. Handwriting is taught progressively so that pupils develop a fluent and legible style.

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening are developed throughout the curriculum. Pupils discuss ideas regularly in class, explain their thinking and listen respectfully to the contributions of others.

Children frequently share their written work during lessons, assemblies and special events. They perform at occasions such as the Harvest Festival and end-of-year assemblies. Every pupil, from Nursery to Year 6, has a role in the Christmas production. Several writing genres are deliberately planned so that pupils present their completed work to an audience, giving writing a genuine purpose.

Assessment in Reading

Reading is assessed continually through listening to pupils read, questioning, discussion, written responses and teachers’ observations during lessons. Teachers consider pupils’ decoding and fluency, their understanding of texts and their ability to discuss, explain and respond thoughtfully to what they have read.

Pupils complete a school-designed VIPERS assessment midway through each term and a PiRA reading assessment at the end of each term. These assessments help teachers identify strengths, misconceptions and areas requiring further teaching or support. They are considered alongside teachers’ detailed knowledge of each pupil and do not replace the assessment that takes place during everyday reading activities.

Teachers and the English leader review reading across the school to identify patterns, evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and determine future teaching priorities. Assessment is used to help every pupil become an increasingly fluent, confident and thoughtful reader.

Assessment in Writing

Writing is assessed continually through teachers’ observations, discussions with pupils and the work produced during lessons. Assessment focuses on what pupils have been taught and considers composition, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, spelling, handwriting and presentation.

Pupils from Years 1 to 6 complete termly GaPS assessments in grammar, punctuation and spelling. These assessments support teachers’ professional judgement and help identify areas requiring further teaching.

Each half-term, pupils complete one agreed independent piece of writing as part of the normal teaching sequence. The English leader assesses this piece against the expectations for the particular genre and the relevant year-group expectations. Because pupils across the school study the same broad genre at the same time, this enables the school to evaluate progression between year groups and monitor each pupil’s development over time.

Teachers and the English leader discuss pupils’ work and use their professional judgement to identify strengths and determine the next priorities for teaching. Writing is also moderated termly to support consistent judgements across the school.

Assessment is purposeful and manageable. It is used to evaluate how successfully the curriculum is being learned and to improve future teaching, rather than to generate unnecessary paperwork or assess objectives that have not yet been taught.

By the end of Year 6, we aim for pupils to leave Thwaites School as confident, thoughtful readers, capable and purposeful writers, and articulate communicators. They should have the literacy knowledge and skills required for secondary education and the confidence to use language effectively throughout their lives.