English
English Curriculum Overview
At Hawkesley Church Primary Academy, our English curriculum is designed to inspire and engage students, fostering a love for reading and writing. We believe in providing a rich and diverse literary experience that not only develops essential literacy skills but also encourages creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong passion for learning. Our school values—LOVE, INTEGRITY, GREATNESS, HONESTY, and TRUST—are woven into every aspect of our curriculum, creating a positive and supportive learning environment. Our motto, “Let your light shine,” inspires students to achieve their best and contribute positively to the community.
Reading Lessons: Our reading lessons are centred around novel studies and whole class reading, focusing on high-quality, challenging, and diverse texts. This approach ensures that students are exposed to a wide range of perspectives and literary styles, promoting a love for reading and a deeper understanding of the world.
Reading for Pleasure: Reading for pleasure is a significant aspect of our curriculum. We highlight a different author each week, helping students discover new writers and genres, fostering a love for reading. Regular trips to the library encourage students to explore books beyond the classroom, promoting independent reading habits. Students create scrapbooks to document their reading journey, reflecting on their favourite books and authors. The Bookflix initiative, a creative twist on Netflix, likely involves recommending books in a fun, engaging way, making reading more appealing. These activities embody our values of LOVE and TRUST, as students develop a deep connection with literature and trust in their own reading choices.
Writing Curriculum: Our writing curriculum uses the Talk for Writing approach, which emphasizes the importance of oral storytelling and discussion as a foundation for writing. Students engage in activities that help them internalize language patterns and structures, which they then use to create their own written pieces. This method supports the development of strong writing skills by encouraging creativity and confidence in expressing ideas. By fostering HONESTY and INTEGRITY in their writing, students learn to express themselves truthfully and with respect for others’ perspectives.
Phonics: Our phonics program uses Read Write Inc., a structured approach that helps students develop their reading and writing skills through systematic phonics instruction. This program is designed to build a strong foundation in literacy by teaching students to decode words, improve their spelling, and develop fluent reading skills. This approach aligns with our value of GREATNESS, as it empowers students to achieve excellence in their literacy skills.
Oracy: Oracy is a huge focus in our curriculum. We provide numerous opportunities for students to develop their speaking and listening skills through activities such as retelling stories with actions, using and modelling good sentence starters, and engaging in debates. These practices help students build confidence in their oral communication, enhance their ability to articulate thoughts clearly, and develop critical thinking skills. By integrating oracy into reading and writing lessons, we ensure that students are well-rounded communicators who can express themselves effectively in various contexts.
Spelling: In Key Stage 2, our spelling curriculum builds on the phonics knowledge acquired in Key Stage 1. We focus on phonemes and graphemes, helping students understand the relationship between sounds and their written forms. Lessons are designed to reinforce this knowledge and support long-term memory retention, ensuring that students develop strong spelling skills that will serve them throughout their academic journey.
Handwriting: We use the Letter Join program to ensure a consistent cursive approach to handwriting. This program helps students develop neat, legible, and fluent handwriting skills, which are essential for effective written communication. By providing structured practice and clear guidance, we support students in achieving handwriting excellence, reflecting our commitment to GREATNESS in all aspects of learning.
Our curriculum not only emphasises academic excellence but also nurtures a lifelong love for reading and writing, while upholding our school’s core values.
To read our intent, implement and impact information, click on the reading, writing and phonics pages.
