English Leader - Mrs N. Moss
Intent
Our English curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully designed to ensure that all pupils develop the essential literacy skills required for success. Through a well-sequenced and progressive curriculum, pupils are supported and challenged to achieve a high standard of reading, writing, speaking and listening. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all learners, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, enabling everyone to make strong progress from their starting points.
Literacy is prioritised across the whole curriculum, as we recognise that secure English skills are fundamental to pupils’ achievement in all subjects. Our aim is for pupils to become confident, fluent readers and articulate writers who can express their ideas clearly and effectively. This ensures pupils are able to access the full breadth of the curriculum and are well prepared for the next stages of their education.
The curriculum develops pupils’ command of spoken and written language while nurturing a genuine love of literature through regular opportunities to read widely and for pleasure. Pupils build an ambitious vocabulary, develop a secure understanding of grammar, and learn how to apply language conventions accurately across a range of contexts. A strong foundation in English empowers pupils to succeed academically and develop confidence as learners.
Our English curriculum also contributes significantly to pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development. Through high-quality texts, discussion and reflection, pupils develop respect, empathy and critical thinking skills. Fundamental British Values are embedded throughout English lessons, supporting pupils to become responsible, informed and active members of modern British society.
Writing
Our writing curriculum is designed to inspire a love of writing and foster enthusiasm and creativity in all pupils. We aim for children to write clearly, accurately and coherently across a variety of contexts, adapting their style for different purposes and audiences. Pupils develop a rich and ambitious vocabulary, a secure understanding of grammar appropriate to their age, accurate spelling, and a fluent, legible handwriting style. Writing is taught within a carefully planned, creative curriculum, ensuring that pupils write for meaningful and engaging purposes.
We encourage children to write with confidence, express their individual voice, and communicate their ideas effectively. Through exposure to high-quality texts and vocabulary, pupils learn to incorporate new language into their own writing, both formally and informally. They are supported to take pride in the presentation of their work, with a focus on developing neat, joined handwriting by the time they transition to secondary school. Spelling and grammar are taught explicitly and reinforced through analysis of texts and applied practice in pupils’ own writing.
We believe that strong writers are also reflective writers. Children are encouraged to identify areas for improvement and to edit their work effectively, both during and after the writing process. Our curriculum develops pupils’ understanding of the craft of writing, equipping them to plan, produce, and publish work of which they can be proud.
Implementation of our Writing Curriculum
At Ashurst, we teach our writing lessons through daily English lessons using Literacy Tree. Literacy Tree is an award-winning platform that offers a curriculum designed to immerse children in a rich literary world. This approach fosters high engagement and provides meaningful, authentic contexts for learning primary English. Through this program, children develop as critical readers and cultivate their own authorial voice by engaging with a wide range of significant authors and exploring diverse fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
As a whole-school approach, Literacy Tree ensures that students encounter at least 100 literary texts throughout their school journey. It delivers comprehensive coverage of National Curriculum objectives, including comprehension, literary language, spelling, and grammar, all taught within the context of the texts. These skills are then applied through a variety of short and extended writing opportunities, ensuring purposeful and meaningful writing outcomes.
At Ashurst, Literacy Tree texts are carefully mapped to ensure progression and full National Curriculum coverage across all year groups. Examples of the extensive range of texts used can be found in our Curriculum Map below.
