Our curriculum is designed to ensure progression in writing skills, covering a wide range of genres, styles, and purposes, whilst also embedding handwriting, grammar, spelling, and punctuation in a meaningful context. It is built upon strong foundations in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), where children become fluent in the foundational knowledge and skills that they will need later: we recognise that it is our moral duty to get this right, as any gaps that later arise may be the result of not mastering the basics in these vital Early Years.
At Old Mill Primary School, our English curriculum aims to provide a rich and comprehensive foundation for pupils to become proficient communicators, writers, critical thinkers, and develop metacognitive skills through the study of English language and literature. The curriculum is designed to foster a love of reading, writing, speaking and listening, and to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of the nuances of the English language. Teachers are passionate about English, delivering stimulating lessons that captivate and inspire our pupils. Our intent is to ensure that every child, regardless of background or ability, achieves their full potential in English and is well-prepared for their future education and beyond. We encourage pupils to emulate the styles and techniques of renowned writers in their own work and guide them to see themselves as writers, reflecting on their reading experiences to inform and inspire their creativity.
High quality texts, written by a wide variety of authors, are at the heart of our English curriculum, serving as inspiration and models for pupils' own writing endeavours. By exposing pupils to a wide range of literary works and genres, we cultivate a love of reading and writing, fostering creativity, language acquisition and critical thinking skills. We ensure that representation, inclusion and diversity are central to our curriculum, and incorporate a diverse range of genres and themes throughout fiction, non-fiction and poetry units. We ensure that all pupils see themselves, and others, reflected in the texts that they engage with, thus promoting a sense of belonging, understanding and empathy amongst our pupils and therefore promoting a positive and inclusive learning environment.
Our curriculum strikes a harmonious balance between discrete Handwriting and Spelling lessons, ‘Experience Days’, ‘Sentence Stacking’ and ‘Independent Writing’. Resources from Jane Considine’s The Write Stuff, Rising Stars Spelling and Martin Harvey’s Achieving Excellence in Handwriting are used to support our English curriculum.
The teaching of grammar, vocabulary and punctuation is integrated within the context of broader lessons: embedding these components into the fabric of lessons enables teachers to create rich, meaningful experiences that enhance pupils' understanding and retention of language concepts, fostering a deeper engagement with the text, thus allowing pupils to see the relevance of grammar in their own writing and reading. Knowledge and skills acquired in English lessons are then applied to pupils’ independent writing.
Our curriculum is underpinned by robust cognitive scientific research (EEF) regarding the workings of memory and long-term retention. We are guided by principles such as cumulative practice, including spaced practice: pupils revisit key concepts, ideas, or skills over longer periods of time, and regularly review and practise previously learned material alongside new content, thus increasing the likelihood of knowledge being embedded in their long-term memory.
‘Experience Days’ act as ‘hooks’ and seek to inspire and stimulate pupils, whilst being driven from a key text. They incorporate drama and role play activities to enhance pupils' language skills, creativity and confidence. Through dramatic performances and role-playing exercises, pupils deepen their understanding of characters, narratives and language. Placing a strong emphasis on developing pupils' spoken language and oracy skills through structured speaking and listening activities, debates and presentations, we aim to enhance pupils' abilities to express themselves verbally, articulate their thoughts coherently and engage effectively in discussions. Teachers recognise that dialogic teaching and the inclusion of conversational turns encourages language growth in the brain and positively impacts attainment in the classroom. In addition, ‘Experience Days’ involve trips and Learning Outside of the Classroom opportunities, thus enriching pupils’ learning experiences and broadening their understanding of the world. By actively incorporating cultural capital into our curriculum and exposing pupils to a diverse range of cultural perspectives, art forms, literature and other historical contexts, we foster a sense of cultural awareness, appreciation, and social cohesion amongst our pupils.
‘Sentence Stacking’ and ‘Independent Writing’ place a strong emphasis on developing sentence structure and vocabulary to enhance pupils’ writing fluency and sophistication. Through targeted activities and resources, we empower pupils to construct complex sentences, use a rich and varied vocabulary and apply language conventions effectively in their writing. Vocabulary is taught both implicitly and explicitly as part of ‘chotting’ and ‘kind calling out’ activities, with a recognition that it is our moral duty to ‘plug’ the vocabulary gap between those who are disadvantaged and those who are not; partner talk is a vital component of English lessons, as teachers recognise that vocabulary is the bedrock of thinking and learning. Children are taught what to write (ideas and content), how to write (sentence construction) and how to add impact (authorial tools and techniques) through the Writing Rainbow, and always write through one, two or all three of the tiers (FANTASTICs, GRAMMARISTICs and BOOMTASTICs). Teachers make direct and explicit reference to ‘lenses’ (within the Writing Rainbow) and pupils have a very clear focus for each stage of their writing. Teacher modelling is an essential component of our English lessons, providing clear examples of ambitious language use and writing techniques to guide pupils in their learning process. By demonstrating language structures, expression and writing strategies, teachers set the highest standard for pupils to aspire towards. In addition to teaching language skills, we place emphasis on editing, proofreading, and improving written work. By guiding pupils through the editing process, providing feedback on grammar, structure, and coherence, we empower them to refine their writing and develop a keen eye for detail, cultivating a strong sense of attention to quality in pupils' written output. Children unanimously enjoy independent writing and are proud to share their compositions with their peers and their teachers.
Our English curriculum is designed to link seamlessly with other subjects, such as History, Geography, and Science, to provide a holistic and interconnected learning experience for our pupils. By integrating English skills into various subjects, we enhance pupils' understanding of concepts and reinforce their ability to communicate effectively across different disciplines.
Old Mill is an inclusive school, with our motto, ‘Striving for Excellence, Going for Gold’ encapsulating our daily commitment to fostering the best possible achievement amongst all pupils, across all subject areas, irrespective of their background or the challenges that they face. We support vulnerable pupils, including those who are disadvantaged (those who are in receipt of Free School Meals, Pupil Premium and/or have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or have a Social Worker) to achieve that goal, including for those who are already high attainers. Our approach is grounded in high-quality teaching, as we know that effective instruction within the classroom is the most important lever to improve outcomes. Adaptive teaching and scaffolds are used within lessons to ensure that each individual’s needs are met. This may include (but is not limited to) providing children with pre-written activities, visual aids, word banks, visual representations, adapted worksheets, sentence starters, adapted and simplified model texts, providing genre structures (e.g. plot points) and individualised feedback to help these pupils overcome any barriers to learning, and to make progress in their writing. Additionally, pupils may be given electronic devices to type their work, rather than scribing by hand, or use devices to verbally record their ideas.
The impact of our English curriculum is profound, with pupils demonstrating enhanced communication skills, literary appreciation and confidence in their abilities. Through consistent assessment and feedback, we have observed significant progress in pupils' language proficiency and written expression, reflecting a deepening engagement with the subject.
Our pupils exhibit a genuine enthusiasm for English, actively participating in literary activities and showcasing their creativity and analytical thinking through their writing. This passion extends beyond the school environment, with many pupils enthusiastically exploring literature and language in their personal time.
The impact of our English curriculum at Old Mill Primary School is evidenced by the holistic, personal and academic development of our pupils. Equipped with strong English skills, metacognitive abilities and a love for language, our pupils are well-prepared for future educational challenges and equipped to thrive as articulate, culturally aware individuals.
Assessment plays a crucial role in our teaching process, allowing us to continually monitor pupil progress effectively and provide timely interventions where required.
Our English curriculum includes whole class feedback sessions, where collective learning points are discussed and shared with the class to promote peer learning and improvement. This approach fosters a collaborative and supportive classroom environment, encouraging pupils to learn from each other's strengths and areas for development, enhancing overall progress and achievement. Feedback is specific, actionable, and encourages pupils to reflect on and improve their work. We promote a growth mindset approach, where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, and resilience is nurtured.
In addition to whole class feedback, teachers assess children’s independent writing every half-term, using bespoke assessment grids. The independent writing that teachers assess against is conducted approximately two weeks after a unit has been delivered, to assess the knowledge and skills that children have acquired.
Old Mill Primary School
Station Road
Broughton Astley
Leicestershire
LE9 6PT
Old Mill Primary School
old_mill_primary_school
@OldMillPS