Take a look at our Primary English subject curriculum:

Reception

Phonics

We introduce the alphabet through initial sounds (lower case and capitals), and start to build simple words phonetically. We also introduce the vowel sounds (a,e,i,o,u), and the digraphs ch, sh and th, learning to hear them and recognise them in common words.

Reading

Starting with no-word books, we introduce the detail that can be used in storytelling. Using flashcards, we introduce the words needed for the Reading Scheme books, including some High Frequency words. The children continue with these books at an individual pace for the rest of the year.

Writing

As letter sounds are learnt, we look at correct formation and a good pencil grip. Known words are used as often as possible on sheets relating to the Collins Literacy scheme, or in the children’s own drawing activities. Constant practice of name writing is also done.

Collins

This scheme uses excerpts of stories, or rhymes and poems, to help the children focus on specific areas of learning such as vocabulary, predicting, rhyming, or punctuation.

Year 1

Writing

  • Fiction
    • Write a full sentence and check it independently.
    • Discuss a variety of stories in depth and act them out
    • Re-write/imitate, a well-known story.
    • Extend sentences to include WOW words.
    • Compare, contrast and predict story themes.
    • Give opinions on stories.
    • Change/innovate a well-known story.
    • Retell a story using different props and story mapping ideas.
    • Write/imagine a simple story.
  • Non-fiction
    • Write a variety of non-fiction texts – a recount, a list, an invitation, a card
    • Recite, perform and re-write poems.
    • Read, follow and write simple instructions.
    • Use a dictionary.
    • Ask and write questions.
    • Talk about Information books and help to create a class book.
    • Compare different poems and rhymes.
    • Extend a written recount, a simple poem and a letter.

Phonics

  • Secure knowledge of all single sounds
  • Read and write CVC words independently
  • Introduce double sounds: ll, ss, zz ff, qu, ck and th, sh and ch for use in reading and writing
  • Blending-squeezing sounds to read
  • Segmenting-stretching sounds to spell
  • Introduce the next set of digraphs-double sounds for reading and writing
  • Secure knowledge of digraphs learnt and use in CVCC and CCVC words (C-consonant, V-vowel)

Reading

  • Read on sight ‘Tricky Words’ according to the UK National Curriculum – (Phase 2 and 3)
  • Read on sight ‘High Frequency Words’ according to the UK National Curriculum – (Phase 2 and 3)

Year 2

Writing

  • Imaginative writing, continuing a story
  • Writing of own poems
  • Writing from own experiences
  • Writing instructions
  • Non-fiction writing
  • Character writing
  • Riddles
  • Sequencing instructions
  • Memory writing
  • Handwriting using the Nelson scheme. Start of joining writing

Grammar and phonics

  • Alliterations, antonyms, synonyms
  • Use of capital letters, commas
  • Questions, statements, commands and exclamations
  • Past tense and present tense
  • Compound words
  • Nouns, noun phrases, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, possessive apostrophe (singular)
  • Suffixes: –ment, -ness, -less, -ly
  • Fact and fiction
  • Rhyming pairs
  • Glossaries, content pages, index
  • Use of a dictionary, alphabetical order
  • Phonetic sounds – fairy e, ai, oo, oi, oy, ar, ur, er, ir, or, ou, ow, ph, ee, aw, are, ear, air, ere, oor, ea, wh, ay, au, oa, ew, ore, igh, ch, y, ie, ue

Comprehension

Year 3

Grammar

  • Application of growing knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and root words
  • Extension of sentences with more than one clause by using a wide range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
  • Use of conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause
  • Use of the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the simple past tense
  • Use and punctuation of direct speech
  • Continuation of use of nouns (proper and common)

Spellings

  • Focus on root words with prefixes and suffixes as well as commonly misspelt words including homophones
  • Spell words that are commonly misspelt

Comprehension

  • Identification of main ideas from paragraphs and summarising
  • Formation of opinion of motivation
  • Retrieve and record key information from non-fiction texts

Spoken Language

  • Articulation and justification of answers, arguments and opinions
  • Read exception words, noting the unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
  • Use of intonation, tone, volume and action in spoken dialogue
  • Speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of standard English

Handwriting

  • Use diagonal and horizontal strokes to link letters, understanding which letters are best left not joined
  • Increase quality, legibility and consistency of their handwriting

Written Composition

  • Draft and write by organising ideas around themes into paragraphs, subheadings and headings.
  • Draft and write narratives using characters, settings and plots
  • Progressively use a varied and rich vocabulary and increasing range of sentence structures

Year 4

Unit 1 – Stories from the past

 

  • Use role play and storytelling to develop a complete story
  • Explore the building blocks of a story (characters, setting and plot)
  • Write a story in the past

Unit 2 – Let’s put on a play

  • Role play and perform a play
  • Compare plays and stories
  • Write scenes from a play

Unit 3 –Read all about it!

  • Role play as interviewers and witness
  • Identify the main features of newspaper texts
  • Write newspaper-style accounts

Unit 4 – Strange and wonderful places

  • Perform poems
  • Read and discuss figurative language and structure of poem, including older poems
  • Write poems based on the structure or style of poems read

Unit 5 – Strange but true

  • Discuss in groups with role playing and storytelling
  • Read fantasy adventure stories which have real-life settings and investigate how settings can add to tension
  • Plan and write stories with different settings

Grammar

  • Using determiners
  • Clauses
  • Expanding sentences using conjunctions
  • Expanding sentences using adverbs
  • Expanding sentences using propositions
  • Direct speech
  • Present tense
  • Present perfect of simple past
  • Using paragraphs

Spelling

  • Two-syllable words with long vowel sounds/silent e
  • Adding –es, -ed, -ing; dropping silent e and changing y to i
  • Adding suffixes –ed and –ing to two-syllable words; doubling final consonant
  • Words ending in f, ff, lf
  • Consonant digraphs making the f sound: gh, ph
  • Vowel digraph ea; homographs: lead/lead homophones: led/lead, weather, whether
  • Adding noun suffixrs –ion, -ness
  • Letter patterns “ge” and “dge”

Year 5

  1. Significant author: Michael Morpugo
  2. Instructions: How to have fun
  3. Poetic style: Poet with a passion
  4. Traditional stories, myths and legends: Monsters and myths
  5. Recounts and new reports: Daring adventures
  6. Classic and narrative poetry: Tales in a verse
  7. Plays and scripts: Acting up
  8. Persuasive writing: The art of persuasion
  9. Film narrative: Moving pictures
  10. Stories from other cultures: Caribbean tale
  11. Older literature: Classic stories
  12. Choral and performance poetry: Speaking aloud

Year 6

Unit 1 – Call of the Wild –  Breaking out the Sled (Literature)

Unit 2  – Adrian Mole’s Diary  – Indecision (Literature)

Unit 3 – The Crimean War 1 – The Charge of the Light Brigade (History)

Unit 4  – The Crimean War 2  – The Charge of the Light Brigade (Poetry)

Unit 5  – Roald Dahl  – Boy (Literature)

Unit 6  – Witches –  The Witches’ Spell (Literature)

Unit 7  – Shakespeare’s World  – All the World’s a Stage (Literature)

Unit 8  – News Reports  – Man Utd vs Liverpool (Report)

Unit 9  – Personification in Poetry  – Silver (Poetry)

Unit 10  – Reports  – Cornwall’s Coast and Moorland (Report)

Unit 11 –  A Christmas Carol  – Tight-fisted Scrooge (Literature)

Unit 12  – Carols and Prayers  – Good King Wenceslas (Poetry)