English is studied throughout the school, following the National Curriculum.
We aim to prepare children to study English to a high standard, including at university level. Regardless of their starting point, strong English skills enable children to achieve career goals in professions that rely on reading and writing—such as journalism, law, and literature—as well as in a wide range of other fields.
Our goal is for children to read confidently, opening doors to a broad curriculum, and to develop a love of reading, enriching their lives. Children are supported to write at an increasingly high standard, using a range of techniques across genres and demonstrating accurate spelling.
In Early Years and Key Stage 1, synthetic phonics is taught systematically, alongside broader language comprehension skills. These foundational skills continue to be developed in Key Stage 2, with targeted interventions provided if needed. Reading for pleasure is fostered through Dialogic Reading in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 and the Accelerated Reader programme in Key Stage 2, which challenges children and helps them build resilience in engaging with increasingly complex texts.
Topics are organised around the school’s English reading spine, enabling children to explore a wide range of literature, including texts from other cultures, and inspiring them to write creatively around key themes. Children are explicitly taught the handwriting, grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills necessary for effective writing. This approach reduces cognitive load, ensuring that when children write independently the foundational skills are already in place.
Lessons are engaging and carefully scaffolded to make learning accessible to all. From Early Years through to Year 6, teachers deliberately develop children’s vocabulary to support clear communication, both orally and in writing. Many units use the Talk for Writing approach, helping children to retell a story using the five-part story sequence, enabling them when they are ready to write stories with increasing independence, confidence and motivation.
The curriculum is enriched by annual author visits, and many activities link to our English topic, for example making pancakes and gingerbread men, pirate activity mornings, beach trips, musical activities and artwork. Subject coordinators monitor whether children are meeting the expected standard through work scrutinies, listening to children read, lesson observations, and analysis of school data against national expectations.
To assess writing more rigorously, the school uses the No More Marking comparative assessment system, which provides an effective measure of whether children can independently apply their writing skills to unfamiliar tasks and are working at the expected standard for their year group.
Termly assessments of reading and writing are used to identify children who are making slower progress, allowing interventions to target the specific skills needed to accelerate learning. To ensure children are well-prepared for the next stage of their education, subject coordinators have further developed handwriting and the Talk for Writing approach. Teachers use the ‘Cold Task’ to identify gaps in learning, such as capital letters, tenses, and other key skills. These gaps are recorded on a cohort-specific class toolkit, which teachers use effectively to ensure all children work towards mastering the skills required for success.
Copies of our English writing progression documents (Handwriting, Spelling, Vocabulary and Composition) can be found here:
Handwriting Progression Document
Spelling Progression Document
Vocabulary Progression Document
Composition Progression Document
Reading Spine of Quality Texts
We want all children at our school to develop a love for reading because once they achieved that, we believe they can go on to accomplish anything.
At Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, we encourage reading through a range of approaches:
The English Reading Spine consists of high quality texts that children experience throughout their time in primary school, ranging from picture books to longer, more challenging novels. These texts may be read to the children, shared together, or read independently. They often act as a stimulus for writing, discussion, or are simply enjoyed for pleasure.
The Dialogic Reading Progression Document includes 100 high-quality texts that are shared with children through interactive storytelling sessions from Pre-School to Year 2. Adults encourage children to engage in dialogue, empowering them to become storytellers themselves. These books are also shared at home, with storytelling modelled for families through videos and Stay and Play sessions. The progression document ensures that parents are supported and encouraged to foster a love of reading at home as well.
Copies of the Early Years and Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Reading Spines can be found here:
Early Years English Reading Spine
KS1/KS2 Reading Spine
Progression in English
As a school we follow the English National Curriculum linked to Primary National Curriculum – English
The spelling, punctuation and grammar covered in each year group can be found in our Curriculum Plans Our Curriculum
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