Intent

At Higham, English and the teaching of English is the foundation of our curriculum. Our main aim is to ensure every single pupil becomes primary literate and progresses in the areas of reading, writing and speaking and listening. English is embedded within all our lessons and we will strive for a high level of English for all.

Higham Primary School shares the aims of the National Curriculum for English (2014) by ensuring that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

At Higham, we believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to be fluent, confident readers who are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wide range of texts. We want pupils to develop a love of reading, a good knowledge of a range of authors, and be able to understand more about the world in which they live through the information they gain from texts. By using high-quality texts, immersing children in vocabulary rich learning environments and having a clear progression of skills, the children at Higham will be exposed to a language heavy, creative and continuous English curriculum which will not only enable them to become primary literate but will also develop a love of reading, creative writing and purposeful speaking and listening.

At Higham, we believe that all pupils should be able to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through both spoken and written language. Developing strong oracy skills is central to this: pupils should learn to express themselves clearly, listen actively, and engage in purposeful dialogue that deepens understanding We want pupils to acquire a wide vocabulary—both spoken and written—a solid understanding of grammar, and be able to spell new words effectively by applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school. We want them to write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. We believe that all pupils should be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing, in part by developing a neat, joined, handwriting style by the time they move to secondary school. We believe that all good writers refine and edit their writing over time, so we want children to develop independence in being able to identify their own areas for improvement in pieces of writing, editing their work effectively during and after the writing process.

We understand the importance of parents and carers in supporting their children to develop word reading, comprehension skills, grammar, spelling and composition skills, and encourage a home-school partnership which enables parents and carers to understand how to enhance the skills being taught in school through high-quality texts.

Implementation

In our school, the teaching of English allows pupils to incrementally build their skills in reading and writing within a carefully designed curriculum. We have a rigorous and well organised English curriculum and framework that provides many purposeful opportunities for reading, writing and discussion. We use a wide variety of quality texts including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and film clips to motivate and inspire our children. Teachers also ensure that cross curricular links with concurrent theme work are woven in the programme of study.

Oracy

Oracy underpins the development of reading and writing and is woven throughout the curriculum—cognitively, socially and linguistically. The quality and variety of language pupils hear and use are essential for building vocabulary, grammar, and understanding. Teachers develop pupils’ confidence and competence in speaking and listening by creating strong foundations through discussion and debate. Pupils are encouraged to listen carefully, respond appropriately, ask questions to deepen understanding, and articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions. They learn to give clear, structured explanations and narratives for different purposes, maintain attention in collaborative conversations, and consider and evaluate alternative viewpoints. Opportunities for presentations, performances, role play, improvisation and debate are provided, and through drama pupils are supported to develop creativity and imagination.

Phonics

Phonics is taught throughout the school using the Read Write Inc. (RWI) scheme, which provides a structured, systematic approach to teaching sounds, blending, and segmenting. Children begin phonics as soon as they join Reception, initially as a whole class, focusing on recognising letter sounds and learning how to read and write them. Once children have been taught the first 16 sounds, they move into smaller, ability-based groups led by the class teacher or a trained teaching assistant. This grouping continues through Reception and into Key Stage 1.

Phonics sessions take place daily and include reading decodable books matched to each child’s phonics level, so they can apply their skills straight away. Children are assessed regularly to ensure they are in the right group for their stage of learning and to support rapid progress.

In the summer term of Year 1, pupils take the statutory Phonics Screening Check, which assesses their ability to apply what they have learned. Parents are informed of their child’s achievement at the end of the school year. Pupils who do not pass receive targeted intervention to secure these key skills.

Reading

We aim to develop fluent, confident readers who actively monitor their understanding and re-read when meaning is unclear. In reading lessons, pupils are explicitly taught a range of comprehension strategies—including inference, questioning, clarifying, summarising, prediction, and activating prior knowledge—and learn to apply these to overcome barriers to understanding. They also develop skills such as skimming, scanning, forming opinions, thinking aloud, and connecting ideas. In Key Stage 2, whole-class reading lessons use the VIPERS approach (Vocabulary, Infer, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, and Summarise/Sequence) to ensure systematic coverage of key reading skills. These skills are taught progressively and applied across a variety of texts to build increased independence and deepen comprehension across all curriculum areas. Pupils are exposed to a rich and varied reading curriculum which helps them develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

At Higham, we use the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme to teach early reading skills in Reception and Key Stage 1. This structured approach helps children learn to read through phonics in a clear, systematic way. Pupils take home phonics-based scheme books that are fully decodable and carefully matched to the sounds they have learned in school, so they can practise confidently and successfully at home.

As children become fluent readers, they move on to the Accelerated Reader (AR) programme. AR encourages independent reading by allowing pupils to choose books matched to their reading level and interests. After finishing a book, children complete a short online quiz, which helps teachers monitor progress and celebrate success. This approach motivates pupils to read widely and regularly, building comprehension skills and a lifelong love of reading.

The scheme is structured to ensure that children have access to a wide range of texts, and allows for pupils to develop their skills within a specific level before moving to the next level. Our aim for all pupils is to be on the Accelerated Reader programme by the beginning of Year 3.  Where a pupil has been identified as not on track to achieve this target, intervention is put in place through 1:1 and small group reading support to enable them to catch up and achieve in line with their peers.  Pupils are able to access books from our extensive library within their ZPD and once they have finished a text they then undertake a comprehension ‘quiz’ and/or vocabulary test.  Time is allocated throughout the week for quiet reading and for children to complete a quiz. Assessments are analysed regularly to inform class teachers of pupils progress against their individual targets. Parents have access to and are able to view their child’s progress through the use of Home Connect.

Each classroom has vibrant and inviting reading area, with a range of non-fiction and poetry books relating to a variety of curriculum subjects to ensure engagement remains high. There is also a selection of books which are directly linked to the theme for the term so that pupils can apply their reading skills across the curriculum and read more widely around a subject.

All pupils have a home-reading record which they are encouraged to take home daily. Parents, carers and pupils are asked to add comments to indicate how much pupils have read.

Reading is celebrated in classrooms and around the school at Higham. Children are read to regularly and our bright and colourful displays celebrate the children’s favourite authors, characters and books. In addition, throughout the school year the importance of reading is enhanced through World Book Day.

Writing

At Higham, we teach English as whole class lessons, so that all children have access to the age-related skills and knowledge contained in the National Curriculum. Writing skills are developed through a text-based approach.  From ‘hooking’ the pupils in at the start of a unit and exploring the text in order to build an understanding of the writer’s craft, pupils develop a deep understanding of the components of writing – planning, drafting, sharing, evaluating, revising, editing and then publishing. Texts are carefully chosen to deepen pupil’s knowledge of the wider curriculum, while ensuring pupils are immersed in our rich and varied literary heritage and high-quality vocabulary.

As we believe consistency and well-taught English is the foundation of a valuable education, we ensure that the teaching of writing is purposeful, robust and shows clear progression for all children.  In line with the National Curriculum, all year groups are taught the explicit grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives required for that age groups.  As well as teaching the objectives, teachers are able to embed the skills throughout the year in cross-curricular writing opportunities ensuring that most children are achieving the objectives at the expected level and that some children can achieve at a greater depth standard. In this sense, assessment of writing is also more fluid as teachers can assess against a set framework.  All year groups use the same format for assessing writing which have been produced in line with the end of Key Stage assessment frameworks as published by the Department for Education.

Our pupils are exposed to a wide variety of genres, enabling them to embed and apply their writing skills in meaningful contexts. Teachers plan, structure, and deliver English lessons through a clear writing journey, designed to show progress, teach the pertinent year group objectives, and develop vocabulary. This journey ensures that pupils understand the purpose and audience for their writing, following Michael Tidd’s principle that writing should always be purposeful and authentic. Pupils learn to write for four key purposes: to entertain, to inform, to persuade, and to discuss. Writing is taught using a high-quality text that provides rich opportunities for inference, advanced vocabulary, varied punctuation, and characterisation. Each text is carefully selected to promote a love of reading, engagement, and high-quality writing outcomes, ensuring pupils write with clarity, creativity, and intent.

In Reception and the early part of Year 1, children take part in Drawing Club, a storytelling-based approach developed by Greg Bottrill. Each week, pupils enjoy a whole-class session using picture books, animations, or tales, which sparks imaginative discussions, introduces new vocabulary, and encourages creative drawing. The magic continues when children ‘press the magic button’ on their drawings—adding words, captions or sentences (the phonics or vocabulary being learned)—so that drawing becomes writing with purpose and joy.

As children transition into Year 1, Drawing Club evolves into Curious Quests—an immersive, adventure-based literacy programme that builds on the wonder and creativity of Drawing Club. Curious Quests blends short whole-class carpet sessions, collaborative group work, and open-ended exploration—such as junk modelling, construction, or role play—to draw children into story, poetry and imaginative play. They apply phonics and SPaG knowledge in meaningful contexts and are driven by curiosity and choice, rather than dictated writing tasks.

Together, these programmes foster a love of writing—helping children to see themselves as authors, wanting to write for real reasons, whether to capture their ideas, describe their quests, or create stories with purpose.

Spelling

Spellings are taught according to the rules and words contained in Appendix 1 of the English National Curriculum. In Year 1, spelling is taught through daily phonics lessons to establish strong foundations. From Year 2 onwards, pupils follow the Spelling Shed programme, which builds upon their existing phonic knowledge and develops understanding of spelling patterns and rules. Spelling Shed is an engaging, interactive scheme that combines online games, activities, and resources to help children learn and apply spelling rules, including common patterns and exceptions. Each week, pupils have a dedicated spelling lesson to introduce the new spelling pattern, followed by opportunities to practise and apply this pattern throughout the week. Spelling Shed can also be accessed at home, supporting regular practice and reinforcement. When marking work, we do not correct all spelling errors, as this can demoralise children and inhibit their experimentation with more adventurous vocabulary. Instead, we focus on high-frequency words, topic words, and those studied in spelling lessons.

Grammar and Punctuation

Grammar and punctuation knowledge and skills are taught primarily through discreet English lessons, with an emphasis on making learning relevant to writing outcomes. Teachers introduce and develop these skills within the context of the genres they are teaching, so pupils can see how grammar choices shape meaning and style in different types of writing. While grammar is often taught discretely to ensure clarity and focus, it is then applied across a range of writing genres to consolidate understanding and encourage purposeful use. When necessary, teachers may deliver standalone lessons on specific grammar or punctuation skills to address gaps, deepen understanding, or reinforce prior learning.

Handwriting

At Higham Primary School, we place great importance on developing fluent, legible, and joined-up handwriting. In Reception, children focus on fine motor skills, correct pencil grip, and correctly forming letters on a baseline. Pre-cursive patterns are introduced in Year 1, with cursive handwriting taught from Year 2 onwards. Regular, short handwriting sessions are delivered in Key Stage 1 and Year 3, following a structured cursive programme. Children practise in dedicated handwriting books and are expected to apply the agreed style in all written work.

Effective teaching is achieved through teacher modelling and guided practice, with high expectations for presentation across the curriculum. From Year 3, pupils work towards earning a pen licence for consistent, neat, and fluent handwriting. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils should write with speed and stamina, understand when to use different letter forms (cursive, print, capitals), and maintain high standards of presentation in all subjects.

Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning and is a continuous process. Teachers use formative assessment strategies daily to assess children’s learning and understanding, through: effective questioning, clear learning objectives, facilitating and listening to discussion, providing feedback and the marking of work, including identifying next steps in their learning. These ongoing assessments inform future planning and teaching. Lessons are adapted readily and interventions are put in place where necessary.

Impact

As a result, we will have a community of enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy showcasing their developing literacy knowledge and skills. They are confident to take risks in their reading and writing and love to discuss and share their ideas.

The impact on our children is clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills.  With the implementation of the writing journey being well established and taught thoroughly in both key stages, children are becoming more confident writers and by the time they are in upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them and the teaching can focus on creativity, writer’s craft, sustained writing and manipulation of grammar and punctuation skills.

As all aspects of English are an integral part of the curriculum, cross curricular writing standards will have also improved, as skills taught in English lessons are transferred into other subjects; this shows consolidation of skills and a deeper understanding of how and when to use specific grammar and punctuation.  We hope that as children move on from us to further their education and learning that their creativity, passion for English and high aspirations travel with them and continue to grow and develop as they do.

In summary, the impact of our English curriculum is:

• pupils will enjoy reading/writing across a range of genres
• pupils of all abilities will be able to succeed in all reading lessons/English lessons because work will be appropriately scaffolded
• pupils will use a range of strategies for decoding words, not solely relying on phonics
• pupils will have a good knowledge of a range of authors
• Pupils will have a wide vocabulary that they will confidently use in both their writing and verbal communication, enabling them to express ideas clearly and effectively across different contexts.
• pupils will have a good knowledge of how to adapt their writing based on the context and audience
• pupils will be ready to read in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education
• pupils will leave primary school being able to effectively apply spelling rules and patterns they have been taught.
• parents and carers will have a good understanding of how they can support reading, spelling, grammar and composition at home and contribute regularly to home-school records and home learning

We use the Read Write Inc Programme to teach phonics. Further information can be found here:

Additional information about RWI Phonics can be found in the Phonics section of our website. Please click on the link below:

Higham Reading Spine

Welcome to our Reading Spine, a core of books which will create a living library in children’s minds. Working together, we will use the spine to ensure that Higham’s pupils are introduced to a selection of high-quality books during their journey through the school.

Books have been carefully chosen to inspire, excite and motivate children as readers.  Our children will find that the books of the Reading Spine have been chosen to fire their imagination and foster a love of reading that will help them throughout their lives.

The idea of a Reading Spine was created by Pie Corbett, the renowned English guru, to help schools build a store of the very best books for children. Our selection has been carefully constructed to reflect a variety of authors from a range of backgrounds, different genres and both classic and contemporary fiction. This is the non-negotiable diet that our children will be given, but it will also be enriched by other literature as appropriate which will also reflect new authors and new fiction for children.

Spelling Shed (Years 2 to 6)

Spelling shed is a new initiative launched at Higham Primary School this academic year. It is an online spelling programme designed to broaden pupils knowledge of the history behind language and widen their understanding of spelling patterns.

Pupils will be set weekly spellings which they are expected to practice and learn for their weekly spelling test. Pupils have the opportunity to play games and complete activities using the spelling shed website.

Please note you do not need to buy the app, you can use Spelling Shed for FREE on a web browser.

Handwriting

Please find an exemplar as to how we write and join letters: