English

Statement of intent for English at Theydon Bois Primary School

At Theydon Bois Primary School, our aim is to develop confident, articulate, and imaginative users of the English language. We believe that a high-quality English education is essential in enabling our pupils to communicate effectively, express themselves creatively, and engage fully with the world around them.

Through our English curriculum, we aim to foster a love of reading, writing, and spoken language. Pupils are encouraged to explore and enjoy language in a variety of contexts, becoming independent and enthusiastic readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. They engage with a wide range of high-quality texts—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and media—to become both critical thinkers and creative performers.

Children learn how language works through a focus on patterns, structures, vocabulary, and grammar, which they apply confidently across all areas of the curriculum. They are supported to use language purposefully and appropriately in a range of spoken and written contexts, selecting vocabulary and grammatical structures that match the intended audience and purpose.

We are committed to ensuring that all children:

Enjoy using language and feel confident in expressing themselves;
Develop as fluent, accurate readers with strong comprehension skills;
Become independent and effective writers across a range of genres;
Use a range of spelling strategies and apply them in their work;
Speak clearly and listen actively in a variety of situations;
Write with a fluent, legible handwriting style and take pride in their presentation;
Understand the relevance of language across all areas of learning and life.

At Theydon Bois Primary School, English underpins all learning. Through our rich, inclusive, and engaging curriculum, we strive to empower every child with the skills and confidence needed to thrive both academically and personally.

How do we teach English at Theydon Bois?

For Key Stage 2:

Daily English lessons, developing the use of the Talk for Writing sequence for learning.

5 reading sessions using Complete Comprehension (plus supplements) each week, delivered in whole class reading sessions allowing the children to learn both from their teachers and discuss texts with their peers, developing their reading fluency and comprehension.

Weekly handwriting lessons.

Up to 3 x weekly spelling lessons.

The teaching of punctuation and grammar is incorporated throughout the Talk for Writing approach.

English lessons are, where possible, linked to the classes’ current topic and may be cross-curricular when suitable, using the school’s curriculum map as a structure for planning a skills based curriculum.

For Key Stage 1:

Daily English lessons, developing the use of the Talk for Writing sequence for learning.

5 reading sessions: either Complete Comprehension/Guided Reading each week, providing each child with the opportunity to work with their teacher in a small group, developing their reading fluency and comprehension.

Daily systematic synthetic phonics sessions using SuperSonic Phonic Friends.

(Those pupils who have reached expected levels in phonics will move to a daily SPAG session, focusing on their ability to apply skills and knowledge acquired to become fluent readers and increasingly accurate spellers)

3 x weekly handwriting lessons.

Daily ‘story time’ to promote reading for pleasure and to experience ‘model reading’ by an adult