English at Bawnmore Infant School

At Bawnmore, English lies at the heart of our curriculum. We know that the ability to read, write, speak and listen with confidence opens doors to every other area of learning and lays the foundation for success in later life. From their very first days in school, children are immersed in a language-rich environment where communication, vocabulary and a love of stories are central to every day.

Intent

Our English curriculum is designed to nurture confident, enthusiastic and capable communicators who can express themselves clearly, read fluently, and write with confidence and purpose. We place high-quality texts at the centre of our teaching, using rich, engaging books to spark curiosity, build vocabulary and develop comprehension across all subjects.

English is carefully sequenced from Early Years to Year 2, ensuring children acquire strong phonics knowledge, develop early reading fluency, and grow as writers who can express their ideas with increasing detail, organisation and independence. Through all aspects of English, children apply and develop their skills across the wider curriculum, through meaningful, purposeful tasks that allow them to make connections in their learning.

Throughout their English journey at Bawnmore, children develop the personal qualities at the heart of our REACH principles: resilience, emotional literacy, aspiration, strong communication skills, and a love of learning.

Implementation

• High-quality texts drive each English unit and wider curriculum topic, with both familiar and diverse stories used to inspire reading and writing.
• Daily phonics teaching follows the Floppy’s Phonics scheme, building strong foundations in reading and spelling.
• Children engage in a wide range of reading experiences, including Book Talk, guided reading, shared reading and daily story time.
• Writing follows the Talk for Writing approach, allowing children to explore texts through discussion, role play, drama and modelled writing before producing independent work.
• Spelling, handwriting and grammar are taught explicitly and practised throughout children’s writing across the curriculum.
• Regular opportunities for speaking, listening, discussion and performance are planned across all subjects to develop confident verbal communication.
• Individual support and targeted intervention ensures that all children, including those with additional needs, are supported to succeed.

Impact

By the end of Year 2, our children leave Bawnmore as:

• Enthusiastic, fluent readers who enjoy books and can talk confidently about what they read.
• Independent, creative writers who can communicate ideas for a range of purposes and audiences.
• Confident speakers and attentive listeners who can express their thoughts and engage in discussion.
• Resilient learners with a love of language and the skills to continue their learning successfully at junior school.

SEND and Inclusion

We are committed to ensuring that all children, including those with additional needs, are fully supported in English. Adaptations may include:

• Pre-teaching of texts and vocabulary.
• Targeted reading interventions.
• Scaffolded writing tasks with appropriate support.
• Individual or small group support for phonics, reading comprehension and writing composition.

Full details of our English curriculum can be found in our English Curriculum Document