English

English at Eaton Park

At Eaton Park, we believe that reading is the key to unlocking learning and opportunity. We are committed to developing fluent, confident readers and writers through a rich and engaging curriculum built around high-quality texts and stories.

Reading lies at the heart of our curriculum. By exposing children to a wide range of texts, genres and authors, we foster a love of reading while developing the knowledge, vocabulary and comprehension skills they need to succeed across all subjects. The texts we share provide inspiration and purpose for writing, enabling children to explore different styles and techniques before applying them independently in their own work.

Through carefully planned teaching, modelling and support, children develop the skills to write with creativity, accuracy and confidence. We place a strong emphasis on vocabulary development, ensuring that children continually expand their understanding and use of language. By nurturing a positive reading culture and a love of language, we equip our children with the skills they need to become successful learners, both at Eaton Park and beyond.

My name is Mrs Brennan, and I am the English Leader at Eaton Park. In my role, I oversee the development of English from Nursery through to Year 6, ensuring that our curriculum is ambitious, well-sequenced and provides every child with the knowledge and skills they need to become confident communicators, readers and writers.

I am passionate about fostering a love of language and literature, inspiring children to discover the enjoyment, wonder and opportunities that reading and writing can bring. English is at the heart of learning and plays a vital role in children’s academic achievement and future success. I am committed to ensuring that every child develops the confidence, skills and enthusiasm needed to thrive both in school and beyond.

Working closely with staff across the academy, I ensure that colleagues are equipped with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to deliver high-quality English teaching. Through ongoing professional development and support, we strive to provide engaging and effective learning experiences that enable all children to succeed. We maintain a carefully planned English curriculum that allows pupils to progressively develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills throughout their time at Eaton Park.

A key aspect of my role is promoting high-quality literature and ensuring that pupils are exposed to a rich and diverse range of texts, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Through our rich and engaging curriculum built around high-quality texts and stories, children develop their vocabulary, comprehension, creativity and love of language. By immersing pupils in meaningful reading and writing experiences, we help them become confident, articulate and reflective learners.

At Eaton Park, English is at the heart of our curriculum. Through a rich and engaging curriculum built around high-quality texts and stories, we aim to develop confident readers, writers and communicators who enjoy language and literature.

Our English curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that all pupils build their knowledge and skills progressively from Nursery to Year 6. Learning begins with immersion in carefully chosen texts, where children explore stories, characters, themes and language, developing a genuine excitement for reading and a deeper understanding of the text. High-quality literature provides the inspiration and purpose for writing, enabling children to write for a range of audiences and purposes.

Writing is taught through a structured process that allows pupils to explore the features of different genres, understand their purpose and develop the skills needed to write successfully. Grammar is taught in a meaningful context and is informed by our progression documents and ongoing assessment. Children are given regular opportunities to practise and apply new grammatical skills before using them independently in their writing.

A strong emphasis is placed on oral rehearsal throughout the writing process. We recognise the important link between speaking, listening and writing, and provide children with frequent opportunities to discuss ideas, develop vocabulary and rehearse sentences before writing. Editing and improving work is also a key part of the process, helping pupils to reflect on their writing and make purposeful improvements based on success criteria and feedback.

Demonstrating that reading is a priority across the academy, high-quality texts have been carefully selected to engage, inspire and challenge all pupils. Children are exposed to a diverse range of genres, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry, enabling them to develop a broad appreciation of literature and language. These texts are also used to support high-quality writing outcomes, providing rich models of language, vocabulary and literary techniques for children to draw upon in their own work.

Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of our English curriculum. Throughout lessons, teachers use assessment for learning strategies to gain insight into pupils’ understanding and identify next steps. This enables staff to adapt teaching, provide appropriate support and challenge, and ensure that all children make strong progress.

Children receive regular feedback through discussion, questioning, verbal feedback and intervention marking within lessons, allowing misconceptions to be addressed promptly and learning to move forward effectively. In addition to ongoing formative assessment, pupils are assessed termly through teacher assessment of writing and reading assessments. The information gathered is used to inform future planning, identify areas for development and make any necessary adaptations to teaching. Progress and attainment in English are shared with parents through termly pupil profile reports.

Statutory Assessments:

Alongside our ongoing school-based assessments, pupils participate in a number of statutory assessments throughout their primary education. In Year 1, children complete the Phonics Screening Check in the summer term to assess their phonics knowledge and early reading skills. Pupils who do not meet the expected standard retake the check in Year 2.

At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils in Year 6 complete statutory assessments in Reading, Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG). Writing is assessed through teacher judgement against national standards and is internally moderated to ensure consistency and accuracy. Schools may also be selected for external moderation by the Local Authority to validate assessment judgements.

This combination of statutory assessments, teacher assessment and ongoing classroom evaluation provides a comprehensive picture of each child’s progress and attainment in English.

Library:

We actively promote reading for pleasure both at school and at home. Our class librarians work with school leaders to champion reading across the academy, while our partnership with the local library provides valuable opportunities for children and families to engage with books and reading events.

From Nursery onwards, children take part in library experiences that encourage a love of reading, including visits from the Little Library Van. We also support the Summer Reading Challenge and celebrate reading throughout the year through events such as World Book Day, author visits and workshops.

Home Reading and the Bookworm:

At Eaton Park, we believe that regular reading at home plays a vital role in developing children’s reading skills, confidence and attainment. As well as supporting academic progress, we are committed to fostering a lifelong love of reading and encouraging children to read for pleasure.

To support this, we have high expectations for home reading and ask that all children read at least four times each week in line with our homework policy. Parents and carers are encouraged to record each reading session to help us celebrate and monitor children’s reading habits. In EYFS and Key Stage 1, reading is recorded in home reading diaries, while Key Stage 2 pupils use the BoomReader online platform.

Home reading books are carefully matched to each child’s current phonics knowledge or reading ability to ensure they can practise and apply the skills being taught in school. In addition, children are given the opportunity to choose a book to read for pleasure, helping to develop their enjoyment of reading and broaden their experience of different authors, genres and texts.

Book Worm

Our Book Worm Challenge is designed to encourage positive reading habits and foster a love of reading beyond the classroom. Children are encouraged to read at home at least five times each week, helping them to develop the habit of reading widely and regularly.

Children who achieve this consistently across a half term receive a certificate in recognition of their commitment. They are also entered into a class prize draw, with winners receiving a golden coin to spend in our book vending machine, celebrating their enthusiasm for reading and rewarding their dedication.

Alongside our strong library links, children have access to a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Our after-school clubs provide engaging and purposeful experiences that further enhance learning across the English curriculum. Throughout the year, we also welcome parents and carers into school for ‘Watch Me Learn’ sessions and phonics workshops, enabling families to support their children’s learning and celebrate their progress. These events are always well attended and valued by our school community

The foundations of handwriting are developed from the very beginning of a child’s journey at Eaton Park. In Nursery and Reception, children build the fine motor skills, hand strength and coordination needed for writing through a range of practical activities, such as dough disco, cutting activities and the manipulation of small objects. They are also taught how to hold a pencil correctly, enabling them to develop good handwriting habits from an early age.

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 follow the Little Wandle Handwriting Programme, a carefully sequenced approach that supports the development of correct letter formation, pencil control and writing fluency. From Year 3 onwards, pupils follow the Penpals Handwriting Scheme, which builds upon these foundations by developing a neat, legible and fluent handwriting style, including the accurate formation and joining of letters. Our aim is for all children to develop a confident and efficient handwriting style that supports them in becoming successful writers.