‘The value of English in the curriculum?  What can I say?  Without English, nothing.  And without good English, nothing very well.’

Anne Fine, Author

In English, children develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.  This enables them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively; crucial skills for their future.

In speaking and listening activities, children are encouraged to discuss their experiences, convey their thoughts and ideas to others and to evaluate their activities orally.

In reading, we aim to foster a love of books and for children to become fluent, competent readers.  The children benefit from reading a range of phonics books which are explicitly matched to the children's phonic knowledge. The Big Cat for Little Wandle Reading Scheme is used throughout Reception and Year 1 to develop the children's decoding, prosody and comprehension skills.  Children also have the opportunity to share and enjoy a wide range of other books through reading for pleasure sessions including poetry, stories, rhymes and non-fiction and listen to highly-skilled members of staff sharing favourite texts.     We have a well-stocked library which children visit regularly in order to borrow books for use at school and home.  All children benefit from a daily phonics session; the school follows the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised’ programme.

In writing, we aim for children to become competent, enthusiastic writers, writing for a range of purposes.  These include writing letters and invitations, stories, instructions and recounts.  Making writing relevant is vital and we regularly provide opportunities for children to become engaged in drama activities to provide first hand experiences for their writing.