In addition to our reading curriculum, we aim to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong understanding of spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

We follow the Wordsmith scheme of work which covers all the Primary English Curriculum objectives. Wordsmith is a fully integrated programme for reading comprehension, speaking and listening, grammar and writing, designed to ensure progress for every child. Each term, children study a fiction, non-fiction, poetry and a ‘live’ unit of work. Within each unit, there is a balance of comprehension, speaking and listening, grammar, spelling and extended writing opportunities. Pupils have the opportunity to write for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.

When studying a fiction unit, children have the opportunity to read a whole book. The books, which have been written by award winning authors such as Michael Morpurgo, are engaging, thought-provoking and provide an excellent model for pupils to develop their own writing.

Examples of fiction texts covered Year 1 – Year 6:

The non-fiction units are delivered through interactive eBooks. As pupils move from screen through a combination of written extracts and short film clips. They have the opportunity to write for a variety of purposes, ranging from an explanation about who killed Tutankhamen in Year 3 to a report on animal migration in Year 5.

Throughout key stage 2, pupils study the work of a variety of poets. They become familiar with the work of two poets each year and use this as a model to develop their own poetic style.

Examples of poets covered from Key Stage 1- Key Stage 2:

The ‘live’ units of Wordsmith give pupils the opportunity to develop their spoken language. Within each unit of work, they are given a real-life purpose to perform to an audience. These range from performing a rap, producing a podcast to creating the script for a guided tour. Pupils develop their evaluative skills by reviewing the final pieces of their classmate’s work.